Just because E3 was canceled, doesn’t mean there hasn’t been any big news in the gaming world. The Summer Game Fest kicked off on May 7^th with Microsoft’s showcase of new titles coming to the Xbox One and Xbox Series X.

If you missed Part 1 of this roundup, you can view it here.

As with last time, not all of these games are confirmed as Series X exclusive. There’s more good news for anyone who already owns an Xbox One. All of the following games will benefit from Xbox Smart Delivery, allowing them to be played on either generation of Xbox consoles.

“Call of the Sea”

The second half of the showcase begins with “Call of the Sea,” by Out of the Blue. A first-person adventure game that reminded me of “Subnautica” before it even got to the underwater parts. A better description might be “Subnautica” mixed with “Myst” and a dash of “Firewatch.”

Set in the 1930s, players take control of Norah, a woman searching for her missing husband in an uncharted island in the South Pacific. What she finds is an island paradise littered with ancient ruins and lost secrets. The developers have stated that while “Call of the Sea” is not a horror game, it draws inspiration from the works of H. P. Lovecraft.

We get a hint of something supernatural in the trailer, with Norah’s narration describing the titular call. I was especially interested in what came at the end of the trailer. The final snippet of gameplay seems to imply that Norah is or can turn into some kind of fish person. That definitely checks a box as far as the whole Lovecraft thing is concerned.

“The Ascent”

Up next was our first look at “The Ascent” by Curve Digital and Neon Giant. “The Ascent” is an action RPG set in a world that will seem familiar to fans of cyberpunk in general and “Blade Runner” in particular. The game takes place on the corporate-run, Planet Veles. When your corporate overlords, The Ascent Group, suddenly collapse for an unknown reason, it sets off a power struggle between rival gangs and corporations.

Playable solo or with friends, “The Ascent” promises fast-paced isometric shooter action in the rain-soaked and neon-drenched streets of the game’s megacity. The developers clearly know how to get the most out of the Unreal engine, with highly detailed and destructible environments. In addition to the visually apparent inspirations like “Blade Runner,” the developers also cited “Halo” and “Mass Effect” as influences in how they present the world.

“The Medium”

Up next is “The Medium,” a psychological horror game from the developers behind “Layers of Fear.” The trailer follows a pregnant woman as she is haunted by visions of a horrific alternate world. I think she is meant to be the mother of our protagonist, a psychic investigator named Marianne. Marianne’s powers end up leading her to an abandoned hotel in Krakow, Poland, were a mystery waits that only she can solve.

The duel worlds tie into the game’s central theme, which encourages players to question their own perceptions of their surroundings. “The Medium” presents itself as a spiritual sequel to “Silent Hill.” It even features music from “Silent Hill” composer Akira Yamaoka. I would have liked to see a little bit more in terms of core gameplay, but it seems like “The Medium” is gearing up to be a highly atmospheric horror experience.

My one big issue is with the characters’ faces, which I thought were hovering a little too close to the uncanny valley. Hopefully, that won’t be as noticeable in the finished product, but we’ll just have to wait and see.

“Scarlet Nexus”

Upon seeing the trailer, the visual design of “Scarlet Nexus” jumped out at me right away. While the scenery and monsters are all realistic textured, the human characters have a much more anime-inspired aesthetic. And I’m not just talking about outfits and hairstyles, the human characters are rendered in a completely different art style than the rest of the game. While that partly serves to double down on how grotesque the monstrous Others are, it also creates an odd scenario where the humans look more out of place than the invaders. This was very clearly a deliberate aesthetic choice on the part of the developers, and I’m curious to see where they’re going with it.

Combat looks to be mostly hack and slash with the added boost of an interactive environment. The protagonist can use his telekinetic powers to hurl objects at enemies, damaging them and leaving them open to follow-up attacks. The trailer offers a few examples of weaponized scenery, such as cars and even a train. However, I got the impression that it’s more of a contextual ability, not something that players will be able to do in every encounter. Hopefully, I’m wrong about that, since it’s a concept with potential, but I guess we’ll just have to wait and see.

“Second Extinction”

“Evil mutant dinosaurs have taken over Earth.” That is apparently the pitch that sold Lead Producer Barney Gibson on co-op shooter “Second Extinction.” Where the dinosaurs come from is a mystery that players will have to figure out for themselves, as they embark on action-packed missions with up to four friends. “Second Extinction” promises over the top action in sprawling and varied maps. Systemic Reaction has also stated that they want the game world to be reactive and dynamic but haven’t gone into much detail of what that entails.

The trailer wasn’t as informative as I would have liked. The developers say there will be a variety of enemies with different strengths and weaknesses. That was hard to tell from the footage they provided, which seems to consist of similar-looking fights with various types of raptor-like creatures. Hopefully, we will learn more about Systemic Reaction’s debut title farther down the road.

“Yakuza: Like a Dragon”

The “Yakuza” games have always occupied a unique place in the gaming landscape. The franchise is known for its colorful characters and a staggering number of side activities. “Like a Dragon” continues that tradition, featuring 19 different jobs to level up and popped collars as far as the eyes can see. Now, I’m pretty sure the space lasers and magic bat are a new feature but feel free to correct me on that.

The story follows a low-level yakuza grunt named Ichiban Kasuga. Betrayed and left for dead, he’s forced to crawl his way back up from the bottom of the heap. Presumably, whatever brought Ichiban back to life accounts for the sudden magic powers. However, Sega hasn’t said much about the plot beyond what I’ve already told you.

What they have said is that players will be able to visit a Sega arcade in the game’s version of Yokohama, Japan, so hopefully, we can look forward to a number of retro Sega titles included as minigames.

“Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla”

Last but hopefully not least is our first look at “Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla.”  As you probably guessed from the title, the latest Assassin’s Creed is all about Vikings. The game will be set during the Norse invasions of England in the 9^th century. Coastal raids, epic battles, and loads of ship combat are all to be expected. The trailer also indicates that the new protagonist, Eivor, will be able to dual wield axes and possibly other weapons.

Ubisoft has expressed a desire to portray Vikings in a historically accurate way, something you don’t usually see in action games. The history nerd in me really likes the sound of that, and Assassin’s Creed seems like the franchise to do it. They’re also making big, if frustratingly vague, promises about the game’s story. “I don’t think people have experienced a story in quite this way–how we present it to you, how you consume it–it’s very unique,” said Narrative director Darby McDevitt. Beyond that, it is confirmed “Valhalla” will be continuing the story of “Assassin’s Creed: Origins” and “Odyssey.”

Now, I do have a problem with the lack of actual gameplay in this gameplay reveal. I’m sure we’ll be able to do most or all of the stuff shown in the trailer, but none of that footage looked like someone actually playing the game. Compare that to most of the other games in the showcase, especially “Bright Memory,” which we covered in Part 1, and it’s pretty disappointing. I’m not the only one to feel this way, as Ubisoft has already felt the need to apologize for their trailer. Hopefully, this means we will be seeing some proper gameplay footage soon.

And that about covers it for the first Xbox Series X showcase. The focus this time was on the third-party games coming to the Series X, but a closer look at first-person exclusives should be coming up soon. Personally, I would have liked to see more unedited gameplay footage, but overall, I’m pretty satisfied with what we got. I’m not usually the type to get hyped for new console generations, but I’m definitely still excited to see what the future hold for the Xbox Series X.

Not a massive fan of the name, though. I mean, am I the only one who thinks Series X sounds like a placeholder?