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5 Essential Xbox Series X Exclusives For Your Radar (2022)

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The Xbox Series X has been on the market for just shy of two years now, yet its portfolio remains somewhat compact, no thanks to the global pandemic holding up countless projects and driving back promised launch windows. That said, there have been a number of quality exclusives release since 2020, many of which have even gone on to rival some of PlayStation's highest-grossing poster children and their subordinates. And as for 2022, well, let's just say the family tree will likely quadruple in size come 2023.

Anyway, it's June, and you'd best believe there are plenty of noteworthy exclusives right there on the horizon. So, if you're waiting for that next big adventure to drop but don't quite know what to look out for, then you can whet your appetite by jotting down these following five Xbox exclusives.

5. Senua's Saga: Hellblade II

Senua's Saga: Hellblade II - Gameplay reveal

Of all the psychological horror games we've trudged through over the last decade, nothing has engrossed us as much as Senua's Sacrifice. For that reason alone, we're beyond eager to delve into Ninja Theory's sequel, Hellblade II, an Xbox One and Series X/S exclusive that is set to launch as early as Q4 2022.

Hellblade II returns to the dark fantasy world of Helheim, a gloomy underworld that pays tribute to Norse mythology and its many entities and beliefs. As Pict warrior, Senua, players will once again entwine with the ashen world on a whirlwind adventure brimming with torment and sacrifice. With that, you'd best dust off your headphones—because if Senua's Sacrifice's award-winning sound design is anything to go by, then the sequel will definitely have you on tenterhooks.

 

4. As Dusk Falls

As Dusk Falls - Official Launch Date Announce - Xbox & Bethesda Games Showcase 2022

As Dusk Falls is an upcoming Xbox One and Series X/S exclusive by some of the independent minds that brought us Heavy Rain, Beyond: Two Souls, and other Quantic Dream best-selling titles. After eight years in the making, the interactive drama will launch on Game Pass on July 19, 2022. And so, if you long for a story-driven experience that threads together a nexus of interactive choices to bolster its plot, then this debut is definitely worth keeping note of.

In As Dusk Falls, players act out the lives and milestones of two families, both of which become victims of a robbery that goes wrong. For every choice you make, a new archway unravels, giving you new options to further develop certain relationships and possible conclusions. However, like other titles from the Quantic Dream team, one wrong move can lead to dire, and often morbid consequences. So, if you're going to go swimming—make sure you know how to float.

3. S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chernobyl

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chernobyl — Gameplay Trailer

After well over a decade of being in development hell, S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chernobyl will finally launch on Xbox Series X/S and PC in Q1 2023. This story-driven first-person shooter follows Shadow of Chernobyl, an award-winning title that released way back in 2007. Since then, fans have fought tooth and nail to get a second glimpse of the atmospheric world of Chernobyl and its tainted waters to no avail. Until now, that is.

Heart of Chernobyl takes you back to the very radioactive world of Chernobyl, a place that houses an overwhelmingly high quantity of mutants and hazardous materials. As an illegal scavenger, you must traverse the borders and scrape together the tools to survive the bitterness of the war-torn land. However, with locale working against your favor and the living conditions only getting worse, you must learn to adapt in order to forge a tomorrow that's worth living.

 

2.  Scorn

Scorn Gameplay Trailer

Scorn is a biopunk survival horror that is heavily inspired by visual artists such as H.R. Giger and Zdzisław Beksiński, two renowned figures whom both specialized and polished the dystopian surrealism field. With that, you can only begin to imagine the oddities that the upcoming Xbox exclusive will aim to employ. At it's heart, though, it'll be a first-person shooter with a harsh focus on nonlinear exploration.

As a skinless humanoid on an alien planet, you must explore a variety of barren regions in search of clues that help explain the world's purpose. The only downfall is, well, you aren't alone. In fact, with the remaining population of the planet being made up of creatures strewn with flesh, bone, and metal, you'll stand as nothing more than a small fish in a big pond. A really, really big pond.

 

1. Warhammer 40,000: Darktide

Warhammer 40,000: Darktide - Official Gameplay Trailer

A series that has been going strong for a fair few years now is Warhammer 40K. Its reputation carries over from its tabletop origins, of course, but its video game portfolio isn't exactly a second thought, either. And the fact is, the 40K timeline has rustled up some pretty fantastic first-person chapters, many of which have tackled even the highest performing shooters on the market. And now, well, Darktide will carry forth the torch into s new era.

Warhammer 40,000: Darktide is perhaps one of the most sought after Xbox exclusives on the current market, thanks to its long history of bullet-infused shooter conquests. Darktide, like entries that have dropped before it, will put you back on a monster-infested planet, giving you the tools to wage war against copious amounts of hordes. In essence, it's a crazed bullet-hell shoot 'em up—and it is looking mighty fine, if we do say so ourselves.

 

So, what's your take? Do you agree with our top five exclusives? Let us know over on our socials here or down in the comments below.

Jord is acting Team Leader at gaming.net. If he isn't blabbering on in his daily listicles, then he's probably out writing fantasy novels or scraping Game Pass of all its slept on indies.