E3 2017: Microsoft Conference Round-Up
Platform holder big boy Microsoft has had their time in the spotlight for E3 2017, so what has the corporate giant revealed this year?
Xbox One X (Formerly Project Scorpio)
It's finally happened as Microsoft have officially announced their latest console iteration for Xbox as they ditch the long-time Project Scorpio moniker. The upgraded Xbox One is henceforth known as Xbox One X and it's got some serious beefy tech under the hood.
• FASTER PROCESSING: The 8-core Custom AMD CPU is clocked at 2.3GHz to bring enhanced AI, real world detail, and smoother interactions to your gaming.
• MORE MEMORY: 12GB GDDR5 of graphic memory add speed and power to game performance to enable bigger worlds, further horizons, and quicker load times.
• IMMERSIVE WORLDS: A 6 Teraflop GPU enables 4K environments and characters to become more realistic than ever, with more detail and smoother animations.
• MEMORY BANDWIDTH: Game graphics are faster and more detailed with 326 GB/sec memory bandwidth, to keep your gaming momentum flowing.
"Lose yourself in worlds built for immersive true 4K gaming, where action is brought to life with 2160p frame buffers. Enjoy brilliant graphic details in lights, shadows, and reflections with High Dynamic Range and Wide Color Gamut. Experience premium audio that puts you in the center of 3D spatial sound. Stream and record game clips in 4K at screaming-fast 60FPS. With 6 teraflops of processing power and 12GB GDDR5 graphic memory, Xbox One X is 40% more powerful than any other console. Feel true power."
Release: November 7th, 2017
Price: $499
Backwards Compatibility
Microsoft has revealed that your library of original Xbox and Xbox 360 titles are now backwards compatible with Xbox One consoles, courtesy of the system-link across all three generations. One of the first original Xbox titles making the migration will be Crimson Skies, announced Xbox head Phil Spencer. The wider service will roll out later in 2017.
Featured New Games
• Assassin's Creed Origins (Ubisoft) - PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
"Ancient Egypt. Once a prosperous and influential empire, now a crumbling civilization. Delve into this mysterious part of history and uncover the thrilling and dangerous tale behind the creation of the Assassins’ Brotherhood. Journey through a country with the most diverse landscapes and wildlife ever seen in an Assassin’s Creed game. From the lush banks of the Nile to the hot deserts, you will come across forgotten tombs and legendary pyramids and encounter renowned figures."
"Explore the story of the birth of the Brotherhood in a captivating adventure that takes place more than 2000 years before the present day. Engage in numerous different quests to level up and unlock new skills. Each quest is a new story to explore. Craft your weapons to play the way you want it and master a whole new fight system."
Release: October 27th, 2017
• Anthem (EA BioWare) - PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
"In Anthem™, a new shared-world action-RPG from EA's BioWare studio, team up with friends as Freelancers—the bold few with the courage to leave civilization behind and explore a landscape of primeval beauty.Wield an arsenal of Javelin exosuits, each equipped with unique weapons and abilities. Band together with friends, confront the dangers you find, and grow in power with every step. "
Release: Q4 2018
• Call of Duty: WWII (Activision / Sledgehammer Games) - PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
"Call of Duty®: WWII creates the definitive World War II next generation experience across three different game modes: Campaign, Multiplayer and Co-Operative. Featuring stunning visuals, the Campaign transports players to the European theatre as they engage in an all-new Call of Duty® story set in iconic World War II battles. Multiplayer marks a return to original, boots-on-the ground Call of Duty gameplay. Authentic weapons and traditional run-and-gun action immerse you in a vast array of World War II–themed locations. The Co-Operative mode unleashes a new and original story in a standalone game experience full of unexpected, adrenaline-pumping moments."
Release: November 3rd, 2017
• CODE VEIN (Bandai Namco Entertainment) - PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
"In the face of certain death, we rise. In the not too distant future, a mysterious disaster has brought collapse to the world as we know it. Towering skyscrapers, once symbols of prosperity, are now lifeless graves of humanity’s past pierced by the Thorns of Judgment. At the center of the destruction lies a hidden society of Revenants called Vein. This final stronghold is where the remaining few fight to survive, blessed with Gifts of power in exchange for their memories and a thirst for blood. Give into the bloodlust fully and risk becoming one of the Lost, fiendish ghouls devoid of any remaining humanity. Wandering aimlessly in search of blood, the Lost will stop at nothing to satisfy their hunger. Team up and embark on a journey to the ends of hell to unlock your past and escape your living nightmare in CODE VEIN."
Release: TBA 2018
• Crackdown 3 (Microsoft Studios) - Windows 10, Xbox One
"Time to step up your boom and stop crime as a super-powered Agent in Crackdown 3's sandbox of mayhem and destruction. Explore the heights of a futuristic city, race through the streets in a transforming vehicle and use your powerful abilities to stop a ruthless criminal empire. Crackdown 3 delivers cooperative mayhem and an all-new multiplayer mode where destruction is your ultimate weapon powered by Microsoft Cloud."
Release: November 7th, 2017
• Cuphead (StudioMDHR Entertainment) - Windows 10, Xbox One
"Cuphead is a classic run and gun action game heavily focused on boss battles. Inspired by cartoons of the 1930s, the visuals and audio are painstakingly created with the same techniques of the era, i.e. traditional hand drawn cel animation, watercolor backgrounds, and original jazz recordings."
"Play as Cuphead or Mugman (in single player or local co-op) as you traverse strange worlds, acquire new weapons, learn powerful super moves, and discover hidden secrets while you try to pay your debt back to the devil!"
Release: September 27th, 2017
• Forza Motorsport 7 (Microsoft Studios / Turn 10) - Windows 10, Xbox One
"Experience the danger and beauty of competitive racing at the limit. Enjoy gorgeous graphics at 60fps and true 4K resolution in HDR. Collect over 700 Forzavista™ cars, including the largest assortment of Ferraris, Porsches and Lamborghinis ever. Master over 30 famous environments with dynamic conditions that change every time you race."
Release: October 3rd, 2017
• Life is Strange: Before the Storm - Episode 1 (Square Enix / Deck Nine Games) - PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
"Life is Strange: Before the Storm is a new three part; standalone adventure set three years before the first game in the BAFTA award-winning franchise. You play as sixteen-year old Chloe Price who forms an unlikely friendship with Rachel Amber, a beautiful and popular girl destined for success. When Rachel learns a secret about her family that threatens to destroy her world, it is her newfound friendship with Chloe that gives her the strength to carry on. No longer alone the girls must confront each other's demons and together, find a way to overcome them."
Release: August 31st, 2017
• Metro Exodus (Deep Silver / 4A Games) - PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
"The year is 2036. A quarter of a century after nuclear war devastated the Earth, a few thousand survivors still cling to existence beneath the ruins of Moscow, in the tunnels of the Metro. They have struggled against the poisoned elements, fought mutated beasts and paranormal horrors and suffered the flames of civil war. But now, as Artyom, you must flee the Metro and lead a band of Spartan Rangers on an incredible, continent-spanning journey across post-apocalyptic Russia in search of a new life in the East."
"Metro Exodus is an epic, story-driven first person shooter from 4A Games that blends deadly combat and stealth with exploration and survival horror in one of the most immersive game worlds ever created. Explore the Russian wilderness across vast, non-linear levels and follow a thrilling story-line that spans an entire year through spring, summer and autumn to the depths of nuclear winter. Inspired by the novels of Dmitry Glukhovsky, Metro Exodus continues Artyom’s story in the greatest Metro adventure yet."
Release: TBA 2018
• Ori and the Will of the Wisps (Microsoft Studios / Moon Studios) - Windows 10, Xbox One
"From the creators of the multi award winning Ori and the Blind Forest comes the highly-anticipated sequel: Ori and the Will of the Wisps. Embark on an all new adventure to discover the mysteries beyond the forest of Nibel, uncover the hidden truths of those lost and unravel Ori’s true destiny."
Release: TBA
• Sea of Thieves (Microsoft Studios / Rare) - Windows 10, Xbox One
"A Shared-World Adventure Game that lets you be the pirate you’ve always dreamed of in a world of danger and discovery. Explore a vast ocean where every sail on the horizon means a ship filled with real players who may be friends or foes. Form a crew and voyage to treasure-filled islands, face legendary creatures and test your mettle in epic ship battles against other pirates."
Release: Q1 2018
• State of Decay 2 (Microsoft Studios / Undead Labs) - Windows 10, Xbox One
"Small-Town America, one year from today. The dead have risen, and civilisation has fallen. Even the military couldn’t stop the zombies, and now humanity stands on the brink of extinction. It's up to you to gather survivors and build a community, explore your lasting legacy and redefine what it means to survive."
Release: Q1/Q2 2018