
While not necessarily bringing out any major surprises at its annual E3 Xbox media briefing, Microsoft still managed to showcase a stellar lineup of titles that will please fans of its pre-existing IPs, and hopefully gain new fans with a handful of new titles.
As expected, the show started off with a look at new footage from Halo 5: Guardians, followed by a multiplayer session demo. Visually everything is looking excellent, and if the promise of 1080p/60fps stays then it will make for an exciting first-person title for Microsoft. 343 also announced the all-new Warzone gameplay mode which lets 24 players battle it out on one field.
The conference really focused on first-party, and Microsoft brought a lot of games to show off. The biggest surprises included a brand-new title which is a dual partnership with Mega Man creator Keiji Inafune and the devs behind Metroid Prime, Armature, called ReCore. It looks like a post-apocalyptic/robot-fueled romp through wasteland, involving orbs and controlling robots.
Another surprise the company left for the end of the show was the previously rumored/leaked Gears of Wars HD remaster, but also an all-new title from the newly labeled Coalition Team, ‘Gears 4.’ No further details were announced but the title is set to launch holiday 2016.
Unexpectedly, Microsoft also revealed something completely out of left field, revealing that Xbox 360 backwards compatibility will be available towards the end of the year. Bringing a huge library of great games will definitely bring a sales boost for the Xbox One.
For those craving swashbuckling high-sea adventuring, the Xbox One and PC exclusive Sea of Thieves will fulfill that need. Developed by Rare, the title looks to be a vividly colorful environment with MMO-styled gameplay.
Visually interesting demos from Microsoft included ID@XBOX exclusive title Cuphead, which features a fantastic 1930’s-styled art direction. The game really looks like you’re playing a cartoon from that era, and is certainly a unique addition to the Xbox One’s lineup. Another demo we were interested by was a showcase of Microsoft’s HoloLens. While it’s challenging to relay a VR experience through video, Microsoft attempted it by showing off support for HoloLens in a new version of Minecraft. Utilizing the HoloLens’ augmented reality, the player will be able to see the game “projected” onto a wall, or perhaps view the whole world overhead while its overlaid onto a table. While the visualized concepts look fascinating and futuristic, it is questionable whether the actual tech will be as impressive. Only time will tell for that one.
Third-party titles did not bring as many surprises as everyone always hopes for at these conferences, but one of the highlights was Dark Souls III. While having been previously rumored, it was good to see it finally confirmed as the series always has a hardcore fanbase.
Overall, we had really hoped that Microsoft would be a bit more unpredictable and show off some more of their in-development titles, but it looks like they really decided to play it safe and not show anything early. According to Phil Spencer, we can look forward to more news on their other titles at Gamescom, including Scalebound and Crackdown. While it’s disappointing that these titles won’t be at the show, it’ll be much more interesting to see some gameplay footage when they’re ready as opposed to a vague not in-game footage now.
It seems like Microsoft is covering up their previous misguided errors pretty well, and trying to make amends to gamers, who they were losing focus on in the beginning. With backwards compatibility and acquisition of new IPs from developers such as Keiji Inafune, it seems like 2016 will hopefully be filled with quality titles for Microsoft’s console.