This year's Gamescom officially started with a bang, as Microsoft kicked the door open with some massive announcements. While Gamescom may not be home to huge reveals like E3 is, it certainly proved to be a showcase for big updates on some of Microsoft’s most important Xbox titles.
Perhaps most telling is that, unlike E3, Microsoft brought to the table less about the upcoming games and Bethesda and more about why its current slate of games are worth investing in. Sure, there were updates on big titles like Dying Light 2 and Microsoft Flight Simulator, but all eyes were on the future as the team confirmed some pretty significant changes coming to the Xbox ecosystem.
Dying Light 2: Stay Human is Living Up to The Name
Dying Light 2: Stay Human has become one of the more quietly anticipated releases of the year. After a few delays, the game is now on track for a December release, and the developers showed up at Gamescom to talk a little more about the game’s combat.
Parkour was already a massive component of the original Dying Light. The sequel enhances that by doubling up the parkour moves and animations and adding mechanics like a paraglider that can be used for traversal and combat. Encounters are also more interesting as you’ll fight more human enemies than you did before. According to the developers, this is a natural extension of the game’s story; 20 years have passed between games, and humans living in this post-apocalyptic, zombie-infested world have become bolder and more present in the world than they were before.
Microsoft Flight Simulator Feels the Need for Speed
Microsoft Flight Simulator recently expanded its foothold on gaming with its first-ever console release, but it’s not stopping there. The developers once again iterated that DLC based on the upcoming film Top Gun: Maverick would be on the way, but the DLC cannot yet be shown as the film is still awaiting release.
There’s plenty to be excited about for Flight Simulator, though. The upcoming World Update VI, which releases Sept 7, will update Germany, Austria and Switzerland with new aerial and satellite images, updated elevation maps and updated cities. They’ll also be adding “Local Legends,” a new series that incorporates planes that are uniquely popular in the areas they’re updating. In World Update VI, this is the Junkers Ju 52, a popular German aircraft. In addition to this, developers are working with Volocopter to add its new eVTOL air taxi designed for urban traffic. Flight Simulator is also partnering with the Reno Air Racing Association to bring the STIHL National Championship Air Races to the game this fall.
Humble Games Expands Game Pass Day One Offerings
Humble Games continues to be one of the more exciting small publishers out there, and they’re only getting bigger. Humble has reaffirmed their dedication to Game Pass, providing a slew of titles coming to Game Pass on day one.
Some of these titles are already out on Game Pass today, including Dodgeball Academia. However, others are still on the way, such as the throwback survival horror title Signalis and the house unpacking sim aptly titled Unpacking. Humble even managed to sneak in a new game with the announcement of Into the Pit, a retro-fps roguelike. This is only another increase in the service’s already stellar value for Game Pass owners, as Humble’s indie titles have proven to be top-notch hits more often than not.
Crusader Kings Comes to Console for The First Time Ever
While Age of Empires IV may have had a big showing at Gamescom, Crusader Kings III proved to be the biggest surprise. It was announced that the popular strategy role-playing title would be making its way to console for the first time.
Crusader Kings III was released on PC in 2020 to critical acclaim but seeing it come to console opens up a whole new world for the franchise. Aiming for an Xbox Series X|S release, Crusader Kings III will utilize the console’s lightning-fast speed to allow the player to swap between gameplay and other functions on the console, such as pulling up YouTube to check tutorials before going back to the action.
Forza Horizon 5 Reveals Its Cover Art
Forza Horizon 5 is the most anticipated racing game in years, and for good reason. The popular racing sim has been a showcase ever since the original Xbox, and the gameplay showcase featured at Gamescom was no different. In action, Forza 5 looks simply stunning.
The presentation was more than just gameplay, though. The game’s cover art was finally revealed, featuring the Mercedes-AMG One and Ford Bronco Badlands racing through a lush environment. It was also announced that a limited edition Xbox controller would be releasing alongside the game, designed with a bright, funky neon yellow, pink and blue color scheme that perfectly accentuates the mood of Forza.
Cloud Gaming is Finally Coming to Console
There was perhaps no bigger Gamescom announcement for Xbox than the long-awaited expansion of its xCloud gaming service. Once something of a far-flung pipe dream, the xCloud cloud-based game streaming has grown significantly in the past year, with mobile support increasing and PC support finally being added for the general public.
Now xCloud is finally coming to its intended home: Xbox consoles. Arriving on Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S this Holiday season for Game Pass members, cloud gaming opens up a new world of possibilities. It allows Xbox One owners to play games that previously would have only been possible for Xbox Series X|S and ensures players don’t need to worry about technical details like hardware requirements or storage space. Sure, it’s not perfect -- you’ll still need pretty robust Internet to get the best experience -- but it’s a huge step forward in Microsoft’s goal of making its games easy to access on as many platforms as possible.