Microsoft were the second to present at this year’s E3 conference in Los Angeles and they came out swinging! It wasn’t particularly difficult following on from the display by EA, but nevertheless they’ve produced the goods.
Have a gander at some of the highlights from Microsoft this year;
Halo Infinite
A big announcement for Microsoft and Xbox this year was the announcement of the 14th game in the Halo series, Halo Infinite. This game will follow a Master Chief storyline and will be running on the SlipSpace engine – which by the looks of the trailer will be incredible.
While we didn’t get to see any gameplay, the game already seems to be very promising and certainly has the community incredibly hyped up. While Halo has always been (and will remain) an Xbox exclusive, it will always be available through the Windows 10 store!
Forza Horizon 4
Can you imagine how track geeks such as Trevor Long must be feeling after this announcement? Set in Britain this game has already demonstrated dynamic synchronised seasons and season based events, dirt bikes, airboats and shared open world online play.
True to the nature of Forza games, Horizon 4 looks visually impeccable. The scenes out of the British countryside have all but convinced me to book a flight. I highly recommend taking two minutes out of your day to give the trailer a look.
Strap in to the race chair on October 2nd for this Xbox and Microsoft Store exclusive.
Cyberpunk 2077
Tee’d up to be the most cinematic game of the coming year, Cyberpunk 2077, which is being developed by the incredibly talented team of CD Projekt RED (who brought us Titanfall). Now this game has been an INCREDIBLY long time coming, with the first announcement over 5 years ago in January of 2013! The explanation from CD Projekt RED: “When we told you we would only release the game when it’s ready (years ago), we meant it.”
And for this, we thank you.
This game is a single player story-driven RPG that promises to immerse players much like the Elder Scrolls games do. It’s the 4th game in the Cyberpunk series and as per the name will be set in the year 2077. If you haven’t already, this trailer is a must watch
Gears 5
Where are my Gears of War geeks at? Bouldering into 2019 will be the latest in the franchise, Gears 5. It was announced alongside two spinoffs; Gears Pop (a mobile game) and Gears Tactics (a turn-based strategy game). In Gears 5, you’ll play as protagonist Kate who was introduced to the series in Gears of War 4. The trailed showed us some beautiful theatrics alongside some of the gameplay we can expect and I recommend giving it a chance.
Just as all the others have been before it, Gears 5 will be an Xbox exclusive, however will also be available on the Windows 10 store. If you haven’t been enticed by the aesthetics of Cyberpunk or gripping thrill of Forza, you’d surely be feeling the heat that Gears 5 promises.
Ori and the Will of the Wisps
The only other game that REALLY caught my attention out of the Microsoft presentation would be this game, the sequel to Ori and the Blind Forest. Ori and the Will of the Wisps is a platform game on steroids. It looks magical. It looks ethereal. It looks addictive. It would be amiss of me to say platform games have had much of a place in the gaming scene recently beyond tried-and-failed indie attempts – but this game is showing a whole lot of potential.
Now if that doesn’t entice you, nothing will. Developed by Moon Studios and running the Unity engine, and being published by Microsoft you wouldn’t dare classify it as an indie game. You can expect Ori and the Will of the Wisps sometime in 2019.
Honorable Mentions
Microsoft went above and beyond with announcements as per usual, but feast your eyes on some of these;
From developer Square Enix:
Others:
Studying Cyber Security and working for Macquarie Media Limited, John is a huge nerd with a passion for video games and computers.
You will often find him in the streets advocating for the benefits of gaming or just generally nerding out.
Feel free to email with any questions or comments: john@eftm.com
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