As we come to the end of 2024, we have to look back on what's been a bizarre year to be an Xbox fan. Some of the team's recent acquisitions have really kicked into gear — namely Bethesda with Indiana Jones and Activision with Black Ops 6 — but it's hard to ignore the amount of mixed messaging and weird shenanigans we've all had to deal with. In the end, Microsoft has released some good stuff this year, but we hope 2025 proves a more stable time for the brand.
But, before we get ahead of ourselves and start thinking about next year, let's take a moment to appreciate Xbox's game lineup in 2024. At this point, it's weird to think that Microsoft kicked things off with Hellblade 2 all the way back in May, but it did - and Ninja Theory delivered a bold and technically impressive sequel that ticked a lot of the right boxes for what's been missing from Xbox exclusives in recent years.
Make no mistake, we didn't think Hellblade 2 was perfect in any sense, but Microsoft let the developer realise its vision to an incredibly high standard. Despite a relatively short length, Hellblade 2 oozes AAA goodness, especially in the visuals department. The team's audio and performance work wasn't half bad either; Hellblade 2 brought home two awards for Best Audio Design and Best Performance at The Game Awards earlier this month.