Microsoft learned from past E3 presentations, and brought the games this year. Not only that, they brought a new console, new word on backwards compatibility, and a host of news. So, what’d we learn?
The Xbox One X
The big news was the Xbox One X, formerly known as Project Scorpio. We’ve already learned a lot about X already, and we dig deeper into it.
Forza Motorsport 7
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dokpy_KIuyA
Unsurprisingly, Scorpio got a showcase in the form of the graphics powerhouse Forza racing franchise. In fact, Microsoft got flashy with its racing franchise, debuting the Porsche supercar 2018 911 GT2 RS. They showed off two tracks with professional race drivers hitting the Nurmbergring (spellcheck). It looks incredibly good, naturally, and the exacting detail the franchise is known for was on display.
PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m0Tnp-3W3z4
The notorious battle royale game where you parachute onto an island and try to be the last man standing out of 100 players is coming to consoles exclusively through Xbox One. It will, of course, have new enhancements for the One X, although we’re not sure how that’ll look as you hide in a bush. But, hey, you can finally kill your friends on console!
Minecraft
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nq_Q77bJ3H0
Mojang’s big new is that all of Minecraft is being united across consoles and PC, a 4k video upgrade, user-created content, and a new look to cater to that fancy upgrade, as well. Expect that, for free, coming this fall. Truly, 8-bit graphics will never look better.
Sea Of Thieves
Rare’s multiplayer pirate adventure Sea Of Thieves also got a showcase. The game showed off a snarky sense of humor, buried treasure hunting, killer skeletons, giant octopi, puzzle solving, shark attacks, walking the plank, looting shipwrecks, and, of course, sailing. That arrives early 2018.
Backwards Compatibility
In a surprising, and welcome, move, the Xbox’s backwards compatibility feature is being upgraded to play original Xbox games, launching later this year. There are more than a few questions, of course, especially what’s coming, but this is excellent new.
Exclusives
Microsoft surprised everyone by announcing 22 console exclusives. Some were obvious, like Forza and Sea of Thieves. Others were a bit more of a surprise. Among the exclusives we saw were base-builder/zombie killer State of Decay 2, arriving Spring 2018; action role-playing game Ashen; arena fighter The Darwin Project; survival FPS sequel Metro: Exodus; MMO Black Desert; 2D SF noir The Last Night; sequel to the beloved platformer Ori And The Will O’ The Wisps; platformer/guitar solo simulator The Artful Escape; anime-esque brawler Code Vein; Tacoma, from the Gone Home development team; cartoony platformer Super Lucky’s Tale> and finally, perpetual E3 visitor Cuphead, which finally has a date of September 29th.
So, yeah, if you’ve got an Xbox One? Expect it to get a lot of use this year. Let us know what your favorite game was in the comments!