Xbox fans don't appear too happy with little gameplay was actually shown after Microsoft hyped up the event and promised an Xbox Series X presentation with gameplay from titles like Assassin's Creed Valhalla. Although fans were happy to hear about some updates and games coming to the new console that is set to release at the end of 2020, many went into the Inside Xbox May 2020 presentation expecting much more thanks to the level of promotion Xbox used to advertise it.
Xbox announced the news of an Xbox Series X presentation just two days after Ubisoft premiered the official trailer for Assassin's Creed Valhalla. The presentation featured 13 new games in development for the Series X, as well as introductions from industry developers and influencers, like Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes II. The presentation not only showed gameplay for titles already announced, like DiRT 5 and Madden NFL 21, but also launched world premieres for new ones currently in development, such as a new psychological horror game The Medium. Overall, the presentation lasted just under a half an hour.
Since Assassin's Creed Odyssey was released back in October of 2018, Ubisoft has been quiet about updates on the newest Assassin's Creed, taking a break from releasing a new AC game every year. Being the most anticipated game in the line-up for the presentation, Xbox saved the best for last, making fans wait until the end to see game play from the next Assassin's Creed installment. With just a minute and twenty-four seconds left in the presentation, Xbox released a less then overwhelming sneak peak at what players can expect from Assassin's Creed Valhalla. Even though the trailer was visually striking and the graphics appeared top-notch, there is no doubt about how little content it actually contained.
The YouTube comments section contained the most criticism about the lack of actual game play, with most comments being split 50/50 between the different games announced and fans expressing disappointed in the presentation itself. Currently, as of writing this article, dislikes on the presentation video published on Xbox's official YouTube page reaches just over 11,000, a thousand more than the likes. Fans are particularly insistent that the presentation of Assassin's Creed, and how it contained absolutely no game play at all, was a form of false advertising on Xbox's part. The live stream caused such backlash that its comments section was eventually forced to be taken down. One user on YouTube called the presentation "deliberately misleading", citing that none of the actual footage was someone playing the games, and was just taken from in-engine.
Although Xbox promises for more updates on the Xbox Series X to happen "every month", fans can't help but compare this presentation to Sony's more realistic announcement of their newest console, the PS5. While some fans are excited about the newest game announcements, it will take a lot for Microsoft to gain traction and anticipation for anything to do with the Xbox Series X again. Fans can at least look forward to monthly updates on the newest console, however, and something like Halo: Infinite could be all it takes to get consumers excited about Xbox Series X moving forward.
Source: Inside Xbox May 2020
