The 2013 Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) kicked off this morning and MICROSOFT started things off with a bang! The roughly one-hour event moved at a lightening quick pace as new console details, system requirements, and gameplay footage was revealed to the world!
Before I start things off and get ankle butt deep in all the goodness MICROSOFT provided us this morning, I think it’s worth noting that I am not a “fanboy” of any one particular console or company. I love it all and really want all three main players (MICROSOFT, SONY, and NINTENDO) to do well and make great games. That said, I have found myself leaning toward MICROSOFT throughout this current generation of hardware and am more than willing to switch camps for my main console of choice during the next generation (all sign thus far are pointing at SONY). In the end it really does not matter though because I will inevitably own all the next generation consoles. The question is; which console will I buy first? E3 will be the proving ground for these companies and will likely decide which system I will fork over the hard-earned dough to. SO let’s tackle what MICROSOFT gave us on Day 1 of the 2013 E3 event!
After short mention of a few key games coming to the X-Box 360 later this year (WORLD OF TANKS, MAX: THE CURSE OF BROTHERHOOD, and DARK SOULS II), MICROSOFT took advantage of their position and wowed audiences with a simply beautiful presentation (including gameplay) of METAL GEAR SOLID V: THE PHANTOM PAIN. See for yourself:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0yTVFBp7VP4&list=PL0il2l-B_WwaXkmJde1d8CpJE6FLVhQBA[/youtube]
This footage was amazing and really got me gears going for what the next generation will offer. This game already looks extremely polished and echoed the open-world style and tone of one of my favorite games of all time; RED DEAD REDEMPTION. While METAL GEAR SOLID V: THE PHANTOM PAIN is not an XBOX ONE exclusive, it sure did set the bar high for what was to follow.
Next up we got a hands-on look at MICROSOFT’s biggest first-party player RYSE: SON OF ROME. I knew very little about this game before E3 and must say that it hit the sweet spot. This game looks amazing and the gameplay footage on show was thrilling and fantastic to watch. Here is what we got to see:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4MfYuP6L44k[/youtube]
I’d say that if there is one game to buy at launch (yes it was confirmed), it would easily be RYSE: SON OF ROME. Is it a “system-seller”? Not too sure just yet. I would have to see more footage, but all signs point to this one being a must-own.
As the presentation quickly moved forward, MICROSOFT had a few tricks up it’s sleeve. We got an official announcement that RARE and MICROSOFT STUDIOS are developing a brand new entry in the KILLER INSTINCT series. We also got word that INSOMNIAC, the company responsible for the stellar RATCHET & CLANK Series, is creating an XBOX ONE exclusive third person shooter titled SUNSET OVERDRIVE. While no gameplay for that title was revealed, the prospect of INSOMNIAC and MICROSOFT in bed together is pretty sweet! Green babies!
After those two surprises things settled a bit with the official announcement for a XBOX ONE edition of MINECRAFT and the newest entry in the FORZA driving series titled FORZA MOTORSPORT 5. I’m not big fans of either franchise, but I know a few people who will be excited.
Another surprise for me was the action-adventure game QUANTUM BREAK which is unique in that it will feature a storyline that will run in synch with a television show. This is an interesting concept and is sure to feel right at home on a console that is touting itself as the one stop system for all your entertainment needs. A cool concept that will have to be seen (and played) to be fully understood.
Scooting right along we got a glimpse at an episodic (in the vein of Telltale’s THE WALKING DEAD) mystery noir adventure titled D4 (no, not the sequel to Dreamcast’s D2), a creative little adventure building game called SPARK, and an on-rails shooter from the people behind the PANZER DRAGOON series (whoo-hoo!) titled CRIMSON DRAGON (why not “Dragoon!?). These were all pretty brief showing that paved the way for the next huge announcement; Capcom’s DEAD RISING 3 is real, it’s coming soon, and it will be exclusive to the XBOX ONE. Take a look:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gLPKIW81wNA&list=PL0il2l-B_WwaXkmJde1d8CpJE6FLVhQBA[/youtube]
While I’m not a huge fan of this series, this did look pretty sweet. It’s got a much grittier and real tone than the previous installments, yet the fun and wacky weapon customizations are back in full force. My favorite thing about this series has always been the human characters that are bat shit crazy and I saw no trace of that in this trailer/presentation. Fingers crossed.
Once the crowd settled we got some hands-on time with THE WITCHER 3: WILD HUNT and it looks stunning, an indie gem titled BELOW that seems to keep up XBOX LIVE’s reputation of providing great indie games, and an untitled project by studio Black Tusk that was only really alluded to.
Then the evening exploded with a teaser for the new HALO game and a long presentation for TITANFALL; a multi-player shooter that let’s you wield powerful mech body suits to dish out some serious pain and damage! Check out the footage for both below:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZipoIbBDf-c&list=PL0il2l-B_WwaXkmJde1d8CpJE6FLVhQBA[/youtube]
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KnOxE4i1-XA&list=PL0il2l-B_WwaXkmJde1d8CpJE6FLVhQBA[/youtube]
And that was it for the games. What about the release date and price you ask!? Well MICROSOFT has officially announced that the XBOX ONE will be released stateside November 2013 (no exact day given) for a suggested retail price of $499.99.
The release window was expected, but that price point seems a bit steep for my low-earning ass. 500 bucks is an awful lot to ask especially considering I will have to still find a way to afford the PS4 and the WiiU once a damn new LEGEND OF ZELDA game is released!
Well there ya have it folks! What did you think of MICROSOFTS’s E3 2013 event? I for one thought they did an outstanding job getting me excited for the new system with their game showcases. Sure there are a lot of letdowns thus far including used game policies, the connectivity (always-on), and the price point, but the games look great and the innovations are there tenfold. Still, I’m thinking SONY has a bit more up their sleeve.
To see all the XBOX ONE footage head on over to their main youtube page HERE.
Stay tuned because we have “Round-Ups” for EA, UBISOFT, and SONY’s presentations up next!
