Microsoft and Bethesda – two companies that usually put on decent shows separately are now one and the same. Is it going to result in a super-show that conquers the world like an atomic monster? Probably not, but we predict plenty of interesting games. As usual, the full show is above and the games are below:

Starfield

The long awaited first look at Bethesda’s Starfield is finally upon us and while we’re a little disappointed that it’s not gameplay we are very intrigued by the design of their world. The industrial style design of the ship and mech in particular weren’t what we expected to see from Bethesda. We even got a release date: 11 November 2022. That’s a long wait but hopefully it’ll be worth it.

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2

Yet another long-awaited game with a rabid fan following and this time we’ve not only got a pre-rendered trailer but some gameplay. Admittedly a good chunk of that is just some Stalkers sitting around a fire talking but we also see some shooting and avoiding anomalies out in a marsh. A mysterious character called Stranger also talks about how he’ll protect “Her” but it’s not clear if he means The Zone, Chernobyl, or something else entirely. Our last famous Pripyat landmark is the Duga radar installation crackling with electricity. Stalker 2 is coming out on 28 April 2022.

Back 4 Blood

It’s not the first appearance of this zombie shooter and it won’t be the last. This trailer introduces the game’s PvP mode, familiar to anyone who’s played Left 4 Dead as it’s a similar zombies versus survivors setup with players in command of the special types of infected.

Contraband

Avalanche Studios’ new game Contraband got a CG trailer that seems to show plans for a heist while playing Steely Dan’s chill classic Do It Again. All we know is that it’s open world and coop, as helpfully pointed out by some strung up polaroids.

Sea of Thieves – A Pirate’s Life

Sea of Thieves is getting a crossover event with Pirates of the Caribbean that sees the movie’s most memorable characters Jack Sparrow and Davy Jones make their way into the Sea of Thieves world. We see diving to a wreck, freeing Jack from prison, a Monkey Island-esque voodoo shack, and clam-headed sailors manning Davy Jones’ ship. The update will be free and releases on 22 June 2021.

Battlefield 2042

Multiplayer only Battlefield 2042 got some eagerly anticipated gameplay that looks just as crazy as the original trailer led us to believe. The warnado returns to wreck stuff and players effortlessly scale structures with a grappling hook launcher. We get to see a bit of fast paced vehicle gameplay and the ability to fast swap weapon attachments.

Twelve Minutes

Narrative time loop adventure Twelve Minutes got another brief trailer, this time to inform us of a 19 August 2021 release date. If for some reason you want that news in video format you can check out the 30 second trailer above.

Psychonauts 2

Double Fine’s Psychonauts is a well deserved cult classic platformer and the sequel has been eagerly anticipated so it’s nice to get a minute and a half of gameplay that looks exactly like what a modern Psychonauts game should look like. We’re also treated to a release date: 25 August 2021.

Fallout 76 – Steel Reign and The Pitt

Multiplayer sandbox Fallout 76 will be receiving a free update titled Steel Reign on 7 July 2021 that will feature the Brotherhood of Steel heavily, even giving players the chance to decide their fate. Additionally, a new expedition called The Pitt will take players to Pittsburgh in 2022.

Party Animals

Party Animals is a multiplayer physics brawler in the vein of Gang Beasts or Fall Guys except everyone’s playing little chubby chibi animals and fighting on top of submarines and jets and stuff. It looks like an absolute blast.

Somerville

This moody little trailer shows a car driving along a road, an old house in the middle of nowhere and a family sleeping on the sofa before getting a bit weird; Inverted monoliths hang down through the clouds and the dad of the family ends up running through a forest and caves and we see the family running into a church while an oddly posed figure with a laser gun covers their retreat. Somerville is releasing in 2022.

Halo Infinite

Halo Infinite got two new trailers, the first takes a look at the single-player story, with Chief in a low gravity environment filled with wreckage. He makes his way past dead humans and Covenant alike meet up with a new AI companion and learn that resident crazypants AI Cortana may not have been deleted. The second trailer is a whole bunch of multiplayer gameplay where we get to see a couple of new guns and abilities like a stationary shield with firing slit. We also learn that the multiplayer portion of the game will be free to play when it releases in Holiday 2021.

Diablo 2 Resurrected

Blizzard’s venerable Diablo 2 is getting a remaster that looks to bring the game up to more modern graphical standards. We’re going to play it safe and reserve any judgement until after it’s release on 23 September 2021 because Blizzard’s remasters have been hit and miss. Fingers crossed for a quality update.

A Plague Tale: Requiem

Look, we’re gonna be straight with you, this trailer has a tidal wave of rats in it and that’s just about the raddest thing we’ve seen all day so we’re not going to sully that experience by making fun of the one character with pointy eyebrows and a crossbow who looks like they’re trying to stop a rat tidal wave with a bad glare.

Far Cry 6

Ubisoft’s open world despot deposing sim Far Cry 6 got just over four minutes of gameplay that shows off the usual Far Cry stuff; custom cars, crazy weapons, and… a horse? There’s also a solid selection of inventive scrap guns that look like a load of fun to blast goons with. Shame the CD launcher weapon plays the Macarena. Ludicrous backpacks like a jetpack and missile launcher also make an appearance as do hijackable tanks. Far Cry 6 is releasing on 7 October 2021.

Slime Rancher 2

Slime Rancher 2 is a thing! For those not familiar, the original game has you sucking up wild slimes and stuffing them in cages to breed for “plorks” which are basically slime poop that’s worth money. The trailer shows off a bunch of new slime types and a brand new island environment but no concrete details beyond that.

Shredders

Shredders is going to be a snowboarding game. That’s evident from all the snowboards and snow. See, we pay attention sometimes. In all seriousness though, there’s very little other than snow and boards in the trailer but the game’s not due until December 2021 so expect to see more details in the coming months.

Atomic Heart

This first person game has more than its fair share of creepy robots and even an aggressive looking granny with a ladle. Some driving is also shown, suggesting that this might be an open world game.

Replaced

Atmospheric pixel art and some incredible looking animations make Replaced look fantastic. What gameplay we see shows off some acrobatic 2D exploration and fighting riot shield using opponents in a fancy room, and riding atop a massive train. Replaced is coming in 2022.

Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes

Announcing a spin-off/sequel before the original game’s even out is a bold move by developers Rabbit & Bear and publisher 505 Games but these JRPGs have a strong Octopath Traveller look to them even if the character designs look like a mish-mash of different styles. Eiyuden Chronicle Rising is coming in 2022 and Hundred Heroes is coming in 2023.

The Ascent

Dark cyberpunk three-quarters perspective shooter The Ascent got a whole bunch of new gameplay showing off their impressive looking combat effects and the announcement of a release date: 29 July 2021.

Age of Empires 4

The venerable RTS series fourth entry has a new gameplay trailer that shows off skirmishes between different factions and siege weapons taking down castle walls. We also see some brief snippets of naval combat. Age of Empires 4 is coming on 28 October 2021.

The Outer Worlds 2

Obsidian’s first-person sci-fi RPG The Outer Worlds is getting a sequel and the humour looks to be intact if this self aware trailer is anything to go by. Apart from the series moon-headed mascot it’s not clear how much of this CG trailer is indicative of what the game will actually be like but it’s a new Obsidian RPG and that should be enough to get fans of the genre curious.

Microsoft Flight Simulator x Top Gun Maverick

Upcoming action movie Top Gun Maverick and Microsoft Flight Simulator are having a crssover event where the chill flight game looks to be receiving an aircraft carrier, a flyable Super Hornet, and another mysterious jet. This free expansion will be coming in Fall 2021.

Forza Horizon 5

Open world racing series Forza Horizon is taking its fifth entry to Mexico! The trailer is full of shots of spectacular varied landscapes from towns to scrubland to a waterfall flanked oasis. The series always delivers on fun driving challenges and a huge variety of vehicles so we’re eager to get behind the wheel when this one launches on 9 November 2021.

Redfall

Described as an open world immersive shooter, this is the mystery project Arkane (Dishonored, Prey) have been working on. Playable in single player and coop, the game pits a series of humans armed with tech and mystical powers, against vampires. We’re not too intimidated by the blood suckers though, one of them looks like DMC Dante and DJ Qualls had a The Fly style teleporter accident. Though it’s all CG we see characters with powers like a huge magic umbrella and turning invisible. Redfall is coming in Summer 2022.

That’s the end of Microsoft’s show and it’s rare to have a show where we want almost everything that’s shown. Replaced is the standout on visuals alone but Forza Horizon 5 and Redfall top out most wanted list. We’re also curious about Party Animals as it looked to just be plain goofy fun. We’ve got more E3 coming up so stay tuned.