E3 2017 - Microsoft Press Conference

By: AlanVMicrosoft had a lot to show at this year’s E3 because of the launch of their new console. Unfortunately, the positive feelings were tamped down with chicanery. There was far too much ambiguity with the word Exclusive, which was frustrating. There was a lot of “Enhanced” by Xbox One X (official name!) marking a lot of the game shown.There wasn’t much new information regarding their new console since they revealed so much earlier this year through Eurogamer, but we finally got the name, the release date and the price. The price was much lower than I had predicted, which is a good thing for Xbox fans. The console will hit store shelves on November 7, 2017 with a $499.99 price tag.It will be interesting to see if mainstream consumers are willing to pay more if the visuals don’t blow them out of the water in comparison to the PS4 Pro Faux 4K.It was also announced that the backwards compatibility effort would be expanded to original Xbox titles, including fan favorite Crimson Skies. This is a nice touch and shows Microsoft is serious about having the Xbox brand serve as a platform that works across generations.Below are the games Microsoft showed off.Forza Motorsport 7 – Their flagship racing title will sport native 4K resolution, 60 frames per second, and dynamic weather. Should make racing game fans very happy. It will come out on October 3, 2017.Metro Exodus – This game is a stunner. It’s a first-person shooter where the world is a total wasteland. Players will find themselves fighting off beasts in a beautifully detailed post-apocalyptic world. It also looks like player bases are based on trains that traverse the game world! This is THE title anyone who buys the new console will want to show off to friends. Best game shown during the press conference.Assassins Creed Origins –  The origins of the Assassins’ brotherhood will be recounted in ancient Egypt. However, the Egyptians won’t be the only enemy, there looks to be plenty of fighting ahead with Roman gladiators. One of the neat features shown is using a bird for reconnaissance while out on the prowl. The game will be released on October 27, 2017.Player Unknown’s Battlegrounds – Drop in and compete against a hundred other players online until the last survivor. “Exclusive” to Xbox consoles. Confusion on how exclusive it will be. Late 2017.Deep Rock Galactic – Mining, spelunking, battling monsters with friends. Isn’t visually impressive, but looks like it will be fun co-op action.State of Decay 2 – Zombie survival that places importance on rebuilding community. It looks as if bases can be constructed and expanded.  Players will have to make decisions on when to go out and scavenge for items. Title is coming in Spring 2018.The Darwin Project – Battle arena gameplay that doesn’t have anything to make it stand out. It looks to be a pure esports grab judging by the guy who was on stage yelling commentary.Minecraft – You know, Minecraft. Updated graphics pack to make it look nice in 4K.Dragon Ball Fighter Z – Dragon Ball Z fighting game with some very nice visuals, capturing the look and feel of the anime.Black Desert - Medieval fantasy adventure MMO already available on PC. Coming in early 2018.The Last Night – Exploring a 2-D cyberpunk world.The Artful Escape – Platformer (maybe?) with Psychedelic music and visuals. WOW.Code Vein – Third-person action RPG from Namco. Has a bit of Dark Souls flavor to the combat. Will be coming out in 2018.Sea of Thieves – Jolly sea faring, exploring sunken ships and islands. All while getting treasures, working together with crew, ship battles at sea and boarding other ships mid-battle. Pirating looks like a lot of fun in Seas of Thieves. Coming in early 2018.Tacoma – From the makers of Gone Home, this is a sci-fi exploration game where players learn about the people who lived in the space station. Will come out August 2, 2017.Super Lucky’s Tale - Family friendly, storybook platformer. Coin collecting bonanza. Coming November 7, 2017.Cuphead – September 29, 2017. Finally!Crackdown 3 – Be a superhuman and jump all over the city and wreak havoc. November 7, 2017.Ashen – A battle between dark and light, where the light helps keep players safe. Very cool visual style.Life is Strange Before the Storms – Prequel of the original, thress episodes long.Shadow of War – More Lord of the Rings goodness with legit trash talking orcs. Characters have serious personality.Ori the Will of the Wisps – Follow-up to Ori the Blind Forest that has just as much visual panache.Anthem – Visually it feels like a melding of Mass Effect, Titanfall and Destiny. Players can select different exo-suits that give them different abilities. Suits can be used to traverse the world like Iron Man!