On January 23rd, Microsoft launched its first gaming showcase of the year with the fresh Xbox Developer_Direct.
These events usually dive deep into existing games, but there’s always room for a few exciting surprises. This time, the showcase has lined up DOOM: The Dark Ages, taking us on a journey into the medieval past of the Doom Slayer, the southern gothic action game South of Midnight, and the “AAA”-style retro turn-based RPG, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. Plus, there’s finally a reveal for the fourth game.
Kicking things off, Team Ninja and Platinum Games have teamed up again for a brand-new mainline Ninja Gaiden. This franchise has a bit of history with Xbox, with its major 2004 reboot debuting on the original console. Known for giving the hack ‘n’ slash genre a serious boost, Ninja Gaiden spawned numerous sequels and spin-offs over time. Just last year, they announced Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound in collaboration with the talented side-scrollers behind the phenomenal Blasphemous. Microsoft has also joined forces with Koei Tecmo to bring several classic Ninja Gaiden titles to Xbox through backward compatibility, and you can now enjoy the main trilogy, remastered, via Xbox Cloud Gaming and Xbox Game Pass.
Ninja Gaiden follows the story of Ryu Hayabusa from the Dragon Clan, battling supernatural and demonic foes. It’s a series famous for its intense difficulty and high skill threshold, often cited as a source of inspiration for other games.
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