XBOX E3 RECAP
XBOX E3 RECAP
With Sony deciding to skip E3, as they focus on preparations for PS5, the opportunity for Xbox to seize the moment and spotlight at E3 was there. For the most part, they made good use of their conference stage. The major focus of the briefing was games, games, and more games, with a little sprinkling of xCloud and future console (Scarlett). Xbox GamePass got lots of love as well; announcing new titles for the service, an extension of the service for PC users, and a bundle including both console and PC GamePass (GamePass Ultimate).
SIXTY GAME SHOWCASE
Xbox showcased sixty games at their briefing, a record amount for them. Fourteen of these games were first party (Xbox Game Studios) exclusives. The usual suspects were present at Xbox E3; Gears 5 and POP, Halo Infinite, Sea of Thieves updates, and next DLC for Forza Horizon 4 (LEGO themed). Big Xbox Games Studios reveals were; Outer Worlds had an in depth trailer and gameplay, Ori 2 was given a release date and showed gameplay, Wasteland 3 was given a new trailer, the resurrection of the classic Flight Simulator was announced, Battletoads gameplay was briefly shown, and Bleeding Edge was officially revealed (had been unfortunately leaked 48 hours before E3).
DOUBLE FINE JOINS XBOX FAMILY
The Xbox Family officially expanded, and welcomed the renowned indie studio, Double Fine into the Family. Studio Head Tim Schafer walked onto stage with Xbox Studios head Matt Booty, to break the news. After the news, Psychonauts 2 trailer and gameplay were shown. Psychonauts will still appear on all promised platforms even though it is the work of a first party studio. The publishing rights for Psychonauts IP was also purchased by Microsoft from Starbreeze, to ensure that full control of the IP is with Double Fine. For the uniformed, Double Fine is a legendary indie studio who specializes in quirky, colorful, fun adventures and characters. Examples of their past work include Psychonauts, Brutal Legend, Iron Brigade, Costume Quest 1 and 2, Stacking, and many others. I believe they will do wonders with Xbox backing and resources.
BLAIR WITCH
The Blair Witch game was a surprising reveal, and one of my favorite showings of the briefing. It is being developed by Bloober, the studio behind critically acclaimed indies such as Layers of Fear and Observer. The game will be set in 1996, and follows a man and his dog, on their quest to find a missing boy. The game plays a game realization of its name sake, the classic Indie Horror phenomenon, The Blair Witch Project. Stylistically, it appears to resemble a mix of Alan Wake and Outlast. This is definitely a game for the watch list. The game will also launch on GamePass. For Microsoft, snagging Blair Witch as a second party exclusive, is quite impressive.
CYBERPUNK2077
CyberPunk2077 was featured prominently. An all new, gorgeous, trailer was revealed, along with sizzling gameplay. The official release date for 2020 was announced as well. Keanu Reaves was revealed to be portraying a central character in the game, as well. To top that off, Keanu himself emerged from behind the stage to a raucous crowd. The reaction caught him by surprise and he seemed to genuinely enjoy it; definitely a highlight of the Xbox briefing.
BORDERLANDS
The Borderlands franchise had an impressive showing. Borderlands 3 debuted a new trailer and gameplay, showing all the trademark insanity and humor expected from the series. Borderlands: The Handsome Collection, was announced as part of Xbox GamePass, bringing a remastered bundle of Borderlands 2, Borderlands -Pre-Sequel, and all their DLC to new audiences. A nice surprise was the announcement of new, free DLC for Borderlands 2, Commander Lilith, which helps bridge the gap between Borderlands 2 and 3. Its available now.
STAR WARS
Star Wars was a notable force at the briefing as well. Jedi Fallen Order showed off gameplay, and the new LEGO: Skywalker Saga was announced. Skywalker Saga will be a LEGO game with all nine films of the Skywalker Saga represented. A surprise, but a welcome one for sure.
JAPANESE GAMES
Several Japanese games made global debuts as well, including Tales of Arise and Phantasy Star Online 2. Phil Spencer, Head of Xbox, had stressed a desire to get more Japanese games on the platform, and he delivered here. Phantasy Star in particular is a major addition to Xbox, as the SEGA franchise has an enormous following. Japanese developers are starting to use Xbox more than in past, a sign of improved standing in game culture.
GEARS
Gears content was a mixed bag. On one hand, the psychological horror type trailer, (visualizing the internal conflict within Kait was incredible); on the other hand, no actual gameplay was shown. They did reveal a new multiplayer mode called Escape, a 3-player team match where the team must plant a bomb in a horde stronghold and escape. Gears Tactics was absent from the show, but Gears POP had a fun, humorous trailer and brief gameplay. A date for Gears 5 testing was announced for later this summer, along with the official release date of September 10th for Gears 5. If customers buy Gears 5 Ultimate, they get the game 4 days earlier. Also, Gears Ultimate Edition was announced as part of GamePass if one purchases the service bundle, meaning that users would have access to Gears 5 four days before official release date.
HALO INFINITE
Halo content was impressive; more showcasing of MCC for PC, and a new trailer for Halo Infinite. The trailer was pure CGI, but was quite nostalgic. It played heavily on memories, hope, happiness of seeing Master Chief again, and the will to fight. Chief’s armor has been updated, looking like a blend of classic Halo (Bungie era) and contemporary Halo (343 era). Visually, Halo Infinite is truly next gen and breathtaking. While it would have been awesome to see actual gameplay, I understand the need to delay that until Scarlett is officially released. Halo Infinite will be a launch title for Scarlett, pairing Halo with an Xbox console launch again, as with the original Xbox.
XBOX SCARLETT
Speaking of Scarlett, that system is going to be quite the technological marvel. Partnering with AMD to create groundbreaking processing, Scarlett is going to be 4X as powerful as the Xbox One X, currently most powerful console in the world. Scarlett will also be fully backwards compatible with OG Xbox games, 360, games, and Xbox One games. Essentially, if it’s a game one can play on Xbox One, it can be played on Scarlett. Also, all accessories, controllers, etc. that are compatible with Xbox One, will carry over to Scarlett. This unprecedented level of compatibility, will be truly rewarding and cost saving for the consumer. To recap, all games, controllers, (everything that works for Xbox One, including BC titles), will work with Scarlett. This is groundbreaking stuff. Scarlett will officially launch for Holiday 2020.
Misc: A new console launch exclusive for Xbox, Crossfirex was announced. It is a collaboration between Smilegate and Remedy, with Smilegate handling the multiplayer, and Remedy doing the single player. ID Xbox showcase of many indies being developed in the program.