Tis the season for games showcases, as pretty much every major company under the sun seems to be collating all of their announcements into one presentation, ready to set the hype train fully in motion.
Having already summarised the best of what the Xbox Games Showcase had to offer, it felt only right to let Ubisoft have some of the limelight. So, with that being said – take a look at the highlights from Ubisoft Forward, including the latest in Assassin’s Creed, as well as a deep-dive into Star Wars Outlaws, among others.
Samurai vs Ninja
Arriving on Xbox Series X|S, PS5 and PC in November 2024, Assassin’s Creed Shadows is the latest major instalment in the long, long-running stealth series.
This time around, we head to feudal Japan; a setting that players have been clamoring for over many years now. The focus of the gameplay deep-dive from Ubi Forward was undoubtedly the emphasis on being able to play as one of two very different characters, suiting your playstyle. Do you make use of heavy weapons as Yasuke – a master samurai – or take to the shadows, swinging across buildings as the nimble ninja Naoe. The choice is up to you, with independent skill trees and upgrades available for each character.
Assassin’s Creed Shadows Key Features
- Explore the captivating open world of feudal Japan, from spectacular castle towns and bustling ports to peaceful shrines and war-ravaged landscapes. Adventure through unpredictable weather, changing seasons, and reactive environments.
- Become Naoe, a shinobi Assassin, and Yasuke, a legendary samurai, as you experience their riveting stories and master their complementary playstyles. As Naoe, use stealth to avoid detection and agility to confound your enemies. As Yasuke, strike your foes with lethal precision and power. Unlock new skills, gear, and progression independently for each character.
- Make information your weapon as you explore the world, and build your own network of spies to be your eyes and ears across locations to hunt down your next target. Along the way, recruit new allies with unique abilities to help accomplish your missions.
- Create a fully customizable hideout for your growing shinobi league as you train your crew, craft new gear, interact with key characters, and choose your base’s layout, decorations, and accessories.
AC Shadows is suiting up to be one of the biggest releases of 2024, so we can’t wait for when it drops on November 12th.
The Expansive World of Star Wars
During Ubisoft Forward, we were also treated to some extensive gameplay of Star Wars Outlaws, which is slated to release onto Xbox Series X|S, PS5 and PC this August.
In the gameplay trailer, we travel to the iconic Mos Eisley cantina, in order to pick up some intel that can aid in the upcoming missions. This is preceded by a gun-fight in outer space (of course!), and then we finish off our mission with a demonstration of the on-foot combat that players can expect to take part in.
The general vibe we get from Outlaws is that this is a total Star Wars experience, and isn’t just focusing on one element that the likes of Star Wars Squadrons did.
Looking for the ultimate way to enjoy one of the most iconic franchises on the planet? Star Wars Outlaws might just have you covered, with it launching on August 30th, 2024.
Prince of Persia – Three Ways!
A large focus of the presentation centred around everyone’s favourite ancient parkouring series: Prince of Persia.
In fact, soon enough we will be able to enjoy the intricate lore and combat systems of PoP in three distinct ways. Firstly, Ubi showed off the Divine Trials update for the recent Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown, which is now free to download for all players on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PS5, PS4, Switch and PC.
We were also given a teaser of upcoming story DLC Mask of Darkness, arriving this September.
Next comes some updates on The Rogue Prince of Persia – a cartoony roguelike currently available only on PC (Steam), that we desperately wish will come to console sometime soon. In the lead-up to the official 1.0 release of the game, developers Evil Empire – of Dead Cells fame – are introducing some new weapons, enemies and challenges to tide players over.
Finally, and perhaps most excitingly, we’ve also received news of the hotly anticipated Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time remake. Rebuilt from the ground up, this faithful adaptation of the 2003 original will release some time in 2026.
Upcoming XDefiant Content
Finally, another highlight of Ubisoft Forward was undoubtedly the confirmation of Season 1’s content for the recently released twitch-shooter XDefiant. At least, this is a highlight if you like your shooters fast-paced, frantic, and with a healthy dose respawning.
Season 1 of XDefiant will bring with it a new Faction – GSK – complete with helpful riot shield, as well as three new weapons and new weapon mastery skins to accompany this. Finally, Ubisoft San Francisco have confirmed that the game will receive a new map every month, to freshen things up in the rotation.
XDefiant is free-to-play on Xbox Series X|S, PS5 and PC, with Season 1 dropping on July 2nd.
Honourable Mentions
But that’s not all, folks! Whilst the above four make up the highlights from the show, we would be naive to ignore some other upcoming releases and announcements made. Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora Sky Breaker is a major story DLC coming to the first-person action adventure game on July 16th; Just Dance VR promises to make us throw up endlessly, The Crew Motorfest is receiving a new island to explore, free of charge, and Anno 117: Pax Romana will usher in a new era for the city-building series.
What has caught your eye the most from Ubisoft? Let us know in the comments below, and on our social media channels.
