Ninja Gaiden 4

Everything shown at today’s Xbox Developer Direct showcase

Four great looking games coming out this year

In the first big game showcase of 2025, Microsoft kicked things off with the Xbox Developer’s Direct Show case highlighting four AAA titles all set to release this year. Let’s take a look at all four games that were part of the January 2025 Xbox Developer Direct showcase.

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Ninja Gaiden 4

Xbox kicked things off with the reveal of the return of Raiden in Ninja Gaiden 4, being developed in coordination by Team Ninja and PlatinumGames. If it feels like it’s been a while since we’ve had a Ninja Gaiden game, well, you’re right. A decade, to be exact.

Ninja Gaiden 4 takes place after the events of Ninja Gaiden 3 in an abandoned Tokyo that has been taken over by demons. Players will step into the role of the longtime series’ main character master ninja Ryu Hayabusa as well as a new protagonist, Yakumo.

Team Ninja also revealed Ninja Gaiden 2 Black, an upgraded remaster of the Xbox 360 title Ninja Gaiden 2 rebuilt in Unreal Engine 5. Ninja Gaiden 2 Black is out now on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S, and Ninja Gaiden 4 will be released on the same platforms in Fall 2025 as well as be available on on Day One on Game Pass.

South of Midnight

Next up, Compulsion Games showed off more of the story from the upcoming action-adventure title South of Midnight from the creators of We Happy Few. A hurricane rips through the town of Prospero, whisking away the main character Hazel, and pulling her into a Southern Gothic world where reality and fantasy connect and ancient folklore creatures emerge.

We also got a release date for South of Midnight, and the third-person adventure title is now set to release on April 8, 202,5 on PC, Xbox Series X|S, and Day One on Game Pass.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33

This debut title from developer Sandfall Interactive looks great. The third game highlighted in the showcase was the upcoming RPG Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, featuring turn-based combat mixed with real-time mechanics. Players face off against the Paintress in a Belle Epoque-inspired fantasy world hosting an expansive world, and lots of secrets and side quests. Revealed in the showcase, players will be able to set up and customize their own camp where they can reinforce weapons, bond with Expedition teammates, and plan their next course of action.

We also got the release date for Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 which will release on April 24, 2025, on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S. It too, will also be available on Day One on Game Pass.

Doom: The Dark Ages

Microsoft wrapped things up with Doom: The Dark Ages, showing off its fast-paced brutal gameplay with tons of bone-shattering and decapitating weapons. The showcase highlighted the open-world aspects of the medieval-themed fight against the forces of Hell as well as a handful of the arsenal of weapons players can wreak havoc with. We also got a look at two new badass tools we can use in the fight against Hell: a flying mecha dragon and a colossal Atlas mech.

Doom: The Dark Ages is set to release on May 15, 2025, on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S. It will also be available on Day One on Game Pass.


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Steven Mills
Staff Writer
Staff Writer - Steven has been writing in some capacity for over a decade now. He has a passion for story focused RPG's like the Final Fantasy franchise and ARPG's like Diablo and Path of Exile. But really, he's willing to try anything.