It's that time of year again! Mike from Foul ENT is here to take you through the biggest event of the gaming calender; E3! Read on to see the highs and lows of Microsoft's Press Conference!
THE GOOD
Xbox One S
Image Credit: neogaf.com
It may have been leaked, but you can't deny the improved, smaller Xbox One model looks and sounds amazing. More importantly, the release window of August and the starting price of $299 makes the Xbox One a viable gift option for this Christmas period. Nice!
Gears Of War 4
Image Credit: dailystar.co.uk
It's pushing the Windows 10 compatability a bit much, but the cross save and cross play introduction for a major Windows title is at least a step in the right direction. The on-stage gameplay demo showed that worries over the graphic fidelity of the mutlipayer beta are gone. Whilst it does feel a bit slower paced, the tidbits of story and characters, as well as the new weaponry (Including a goddamn catapult and a super sweet sawblade launcher!) does ease the worries of fan waiting for the new Gears game. It looks like more of the same, which considering the quality of the Gears series, is in no way a bad thing!
Gears Of War 4 arrives on October 11th for Xbox One and PC, with an Elite Controller repaint also available.
Gears Of War 4 arrives on October 11th for Xbox One and PC, with an Elite Controller repaint also available.
ReCore
Image Credit: critical-reviews.com
With a few nice gameplay snippets, with interesting combat and terrain traversal, ReCore looks like it may live upto the pedigree of Keiji Inafunes past work. We would have loved to have seen more, but knowing it's definitely coming this year is at least some comfort. A lovely looking new IP for sure and
ReCore will launch on September 13th for Xbox One
ReCore will launch on September 13th for Xbox One
Clubs / Looking For Group / Arena
Image Credit: attackofthefanboy.com
The reveal was admittedly a bit wanky, but the introduction of a Looking For Group service will salvage games like Destiny and The Division who have no doubt been dropping out due to a lack of players. The Arena does echo the EA Tournaments revealed last night, which comes as no surprise. The two working together though? Pretty neat.
Clubs, Looking For Group and Arena will launch this Autumn.
Clubs, Looking For Group and Arena will launch this Autumn.
Minecraft Realms and VR
Image Credit: twitter.com/xbox
Everyone and thier dog plays Minecraft, and now everyone can play no matter what platform they're on... providing that platform isn't PS4 or Vita. Yes, Microsoft's ownership of this IP means that they can exclude those platforms they can't directly control, but the unification of the other platforms is pretty awesome. Mod support and texture packs are now also available across all platforms, as well as VR integration. Nice!
The Friendly Update, in conjunction with Realms, will be open for free registration today and will fully realise itself in Autumn.
The Friendly Update, in conjunction with Realms, will be open for free registration today and will fully realise itself in Autumn.
ID @ Xbox
Image Credit: insertcointobegin.com
This gets a place in the good pile entirely because of Stardew Valley and Slime Rancher coming to consoles. The rest of the sizzle reel was nice, but those two games look absolutely incredible. Once again, the indies are really leading the way. Oh, and Cuphead is coming this year. Thank god.
We Happy Few
Image Credit: twitter.com/xbox
An extended gameplay demo for the terrifyingly creepy dystopian stealth game from Compulsion? Awesome! This game looks so wonderfully unique and all I can do is shower it with praise. I loved it.
We Happy Few comes to Xbox first in June.
We Happy Few comes to Xbox first in June.
Gwent
Image Credit: nerdleaks.com
I love The Witcher 3. What I surprisingly loved was the built in card game, Gwent. Well, CD Projekt Red are releasing it as a standalone game, with a huge single player campaign, redesigned visuals, new cards, online multiplayer and cross platform play. This is
There's a PC beta you can sign up for right now, and the full game is out in September 2016 Yes!
There's a PC beta you can sign up for right now, and the full game is out in September 2016 Yes!
Tekken 7
Image Credit: twitter.com/xbox
The sequel/logical conclusion to Street Fighter X Tekken should really be 'Tekken X Street Fighter', but instead it's... Tekken 7? What?! So, Akuma from Street Fighter at the very least in the game, but what about the rest of the SF roster? As a Tekken fan, this is a wonderful resurgence for the franchise, but is this actually a cross over or not!? WHAT IS GOING ON?!
Ah screw it, we're getting Tekken 7 early next year, that's all that's important. Thank the gods.
Ah screw it, we're getting Tekken 7 early next year, that's all that's important. Thank the gods.
Dead Rising 4
Image Credit: kotaku.com
Yeah, the announcement may have leaked, but the trailer was everything we wanted and more. Frank West and his arsenal of crazy combinable weapons are back for a fourth Dead Rising game, set in a mall at Christmas time, with a heavy emphasis on the stupid, wacky and fun. A far departure from Dead Rising 3, this looks like a true return to form.
Scalebound
Image Credit: digitaltrends.com
Co-op, giant monster slaying, Devil May Cry/Lair/Division style game. Need I say more? The lengthy live demo of Scalebound shows a very ambitious approach for the new IP, which is available sometime next year. It's a very pretty, stylised game, and with Platinum at the helm, this could be the next big third person action game. At the very least, it's stupid and colourful enough for us to revel in the spectacle.
Sea Of Thieves
Image Credit: twitter.com/xbox
Rare's multiplayer online pirate game continues to impress. Building on the charming cartoony visual revealed last year, the gameplay demo showed a very clean and polished visual style in engine, as well as team-based combat, exploration and... binge drinking. I am totally on board for this game if it is as expansive and exploration as the demo shows it to be. And it's out sometime next year. We wait with baited breath.
Halo Wars 2
Image Credit: venturebeat.com
Whilst the full game is available in February next year, this week you can play an open beta for this RTS sequel on Xbox One and PC. Yeah, okay, that's a pretty nice surprise. Sure, this game already got announced, but that was a fun little tidbit for us. Thanks, lads!
THE BAD
Killer Instinct
Image Credit: killerinstinctcentral.com
The pitiful boasting of the Killer Instinct team over it's 'success' was a bit laugh inducing. I mean, it WAS a free to play title. Also, you can now play as a locust from Gears of War. Neat?
Forza Horizon 3
Image Credit: s.aolcdn.com
The open world spinoff of the track racing game is back again, and this time it's set in... Australia. Fair enough. Once again, there is an over reliance on supercars, even though there are more fun vehicles in the mix like rally and off-roaders. The promise of a 4 player campaign co-op, which also supports cross play, the push toward social play is... fine, I guess. It's more of the same. And this time, that's a bit of a shame, really. Fine if you like incremental updates to your racing games, but otherwise nothing spectacular.
Forza Horizon 3 releasesSeptember 27th 2016 for Xbox One and PC
Forza Horizon 3 releasesSeptember 27th 2016 for Xbox One and PC
The Division: Underground Expansion
Image Credit: gamesring.com
People still play The Division? Apparently so. And this new expansion boasts randomly generated missions. Right, because that wasn't boring and annoying in games like Fallout 4. It may be first on Xbox, but there's little reason to pick this game up again.
Battlefield 1
Image Credit: pcgamer.com
Was there any need to show that trailer again? Oh right, because if you're an Xbox player who also subscribes to EA Access, you can start playing the Battlefield 1 multiplayer on October 13th. It does run at the premium of subscribing to both services though. This game doesn't need any more exposure. Yawn.
Inside
Image Credit: digitaltrends.com
It's nice to get Limbo for free, but that trailer sucked. It told us absolutely nothing and was even more vague than its announcement trailer from last years E3. I arguably know less now than I did before. Poor showing for what could be a flagship indie title. Eh, at least we don't have to wait long to find out what this thing is.
Inside is out on June 29th 2016 for Xbox One
Inside is out on June 29th 2016 for Xbox One
State of Decay 2
Image Credit: twitter.com/xbox
More zombies. More killing. More survival. More players. Etcetera, etcetera. Whatever. So, like every game we've seen this year. Not unique in any way, shape or form. Boring. Chuck it in the bin with the original. Nobody cares.
Project Scorpio
Image Credit: kotaku.com
I really didn't know what to think about this. So, it's not a new console, since it runs all current and future Xbox One games, but it has way more processing power and VR capabilities than the Xbone or the Xbone S, but it's not a new generation? And it's out next year, meaning it will take up major time at next years E3? I'm really not sure how to feel about this 'reveal'. It's a bit presumptuous to think that something like this won't overshadow a console that will then at that point be 5 years old, so... how do we feel abut this? And now the cards are on the table with specs, it gives the competition a chance to play catch up or even over take them. I don't know, this half step generation thing is all very dumb, but it is unfortunately the way of the industry.
THE VERDICT
Overall, this a way stronger Microsoft than what we've seen in previous years. A great library of games and great additions to the Xbox Live experience, the company finally have a sense of throwing caution to the wind and being headstrong and confident after the failure that was the Xbox One launch. However, amongst the hubris and punch of this jam packed conference, I can't help but feel that Microsoft shot themselves in the foot a little. Announcing Scorpio is more of a negative in my eyes when you're trying to sell the Xbone S. A lot of games are coming out early next year. Most of the time was dedicated to stuff we already in the least knew existed. Some fan favourites are in fact multi-platform games instead of exclusives. We were surprised for sure with some things, but whether that's a good thing is a different story.
A way better show than the last two years, with a better energy and confidence, but ultimately led to a huge, HUGE fall at the last hurdle which leaves them open to be undercut tonight by Sony. But otherwise, mostly enjoyable.
A way better show than the last two years, with a better energy and confidence, but ultimately led to a huge, HUGE fall at the last hurdle which leaves them open to be undercut tonight by Sony. But otherwise, mostly enjoyable.
By Mike Owen
@ThatMikeOwen
The Editor in Chief of Foul Entertainment, Mike edits most of what you see on the site. He runs the production of our podcasts, and currently pens Pop Culture Club and The Death of Video Games
@ThatMikeOwen
The Editor in Chief of Foul Entertainment, Mike edits most of what you see on the site. He runs the production of our podcasts, and currently pens Pop Culture Club and The Death of Video Games