HALO 5: GUARDIANS / 343 Industries, Microsoft
Ever since last year’s E3 press conferences, it seems as if Sony has dominated the positive public opinion. I’d even go as far as saying that a lot of Microsoft junkies converted over to Sony as their “main system” of choice. I was one of those people. But honestly I get every console anyways, I just got Sony first this generation. Microsoft had to deliver this year to gain some of their traction back. They needed to focus mainly on the games. And I think that, while still not as impressive as what I see Sony doing, they took a good step in the right direction today.
In a smart move, Microsoft and 343 Industries started things off right with a ton of in-game footage and montages for their ace in the hole HALO 5: GUARDIANS due out October 27th 2015. So close! The gameplay footage was fast, fluid, and nostalgically beautiful! Everything seemed to run smooth and witnessing this franchise on a next gen system was awesome. They really focused on the team-based elements in the drop-in/drop-out campaign where you can go it alone with AI controlled teammates (Guardians) or have a buddy fill in and kick ass with you. And the 24 player multiplayer (why you really play HALO) titled “Warzones” looks chaotic and fun having me daydream about tossing DESTINY aside, dusting off by XBOX ONE and booting up HALO 5 for a very long time. I really miss dishing out the pain in HALO multiplayer and this one looks superb. Color me impressed overall with this new installment. Bring it on!
Next up we saw a brand new franchise called RECORE displayed for the first time. It was just a lengthy cutscene of a girl in a post-apocalyptic world (just want we need!) scrounging around with her trusty rob-dog. I have no idea what this game is about, how it plays, or really if I should be excited. Either way, it symbolized Microsoft’s dedication to making new franchises so I’ll take it. We’ll see if they show off any more this week.
Then in a somewhat unexpected move, Microsoft announced backwards compatibility with X-Box 360 games. Not all of them just yet, but around a hundred to start with more promised in the future. If this truly works, I can clear up some room under my TV…so that’s cool. They also showed off a highly customizable controller called the “X-Box Elite Wireless Controller” that has interchangeable parts and sensitivity levels. Again. Pretty cool.
Back to the games, Microsoft announced that on XBOX ONE, FALLOUT 4 will offer up all the mods PC players create and use for FREE. This could sway a lot of buyers to lean towards this version over the PS4 edition if they don’t do the same.
There was also some mumbo jumbo about EA’s monthly subscription program called “EA Access” and a brief announcement trailer for PLANT VS ZOMBIES GARDEN WARFARE 2 coming Spring 2016. Meh.
We were also shown and overly long presentation about FORZA MOTORSPORT 6. Sure it looks beautiful and I know a lot of people dig it, but I don’t and nothing I saw convinced me I just like cars. Hey to be fair, I don’t really like sports either…unless Air Hockey is considered a sport…in that case sports are cool.
Following was the long-awaited official announcement for DARK SOULS 3 followed by some cool RAINBOW 6 SIEGE and THE DIVISION footage. All three titles look solid, and I think revisiting the RAINBOW 6 series will be fun. We then got a quick look at another new (presumably free-to-play) title called GIGANTIC. It looked fun, colorful, and surprisingly far along. Worth looking into more.
Then, in another smart move by Microsoft, they focused on their indie games under the label “ID@Xbox”. It’s great seeing Microsoft focus on indie developers and there were some shining stars among this very brief presentation including 1930’s inspired 2D action game CUPHEAD, THE FLAME IN THE FLOOD, RISE AND SHINE, BELOW, ARK: SURVIVAL EVOLVED, TACOMA, ASHEN, BEYOND EYES, and a few others. We didn’t see a lot for each title, mainly just a big montage. Basically, keep an eye on what Microsoft has in store for indie games because it looked sweet.
Up next was a great gameplay look at RISE OF THE TOMB RAIDER coming out exclusively (for now) for Microsoft systems. It was stunning footage of Mrs. Croft and a travel buddy as they claimed an icy mountain dodging a huge avalanche. It looked so great! After the demo in the wintery mountains, we were treated to a montage featuring game footage from a wide variety of locations for anyone worried we would just be snow hopping the entire time. Make no mistake, this is a must-own title and it’s heading our way November 11th 2015 just in time for the holidays.
And my little nerd heart warmed upon seeing video game company Rare actually getting in the spotlight at E3 again. Oh, how I’ve missed thee. First it was announced that a compilation of 30 past Rare games called the RARE REPLAY COLLECTION will be coming at us on August 8th 2015 for a measly $30. That’s just $1 a game people! And on top of that, Rare announced a brand new game called SEA OF THIEVES that is a mass multiplayer title surrounding on the adventures of a bunch of zany pirates, thieves, and adventurers. It was so great seeing that special Rare charm in gaming again and you can bet your DIDDY KONG RACING loving ass I will be first in line to see what the company has to offer. Tightly squeezed in after that was a quick look at FABLE LEGENDS. Nothing really new, but cool nonetheless.
Near the end of the presentation things shifted to the virtual reality and hologram functionality of a few upcoming peripherals heading our way. We were reminded of the partnership with the Oculus Virtual Reality Headset, but little more. Instead the focus was on the stunning Microsoft Hololens that allows players to digitally project their gaining experiences in their living room. The demo they had using a special camera showed us what MINECRAFT looked like using this new peripheral and it took y breath away. Some seriously science fiction shit happening here people. I can’t explain how cool this looked, you just have to watch that section of the demo yourself. Just wow…
And last, but certainly not least, were some huge GEARS OF WAR announcements. First up, we are getting a fully remastered edition of the first GEARS OF WAR game called the GEARS OF WAR ULTIMATE EDITION on August 25th 2015 featuring the whole single player game and fully functional multiplayer modes reworked to take advantage of current hardware. Pretty cool. And just when we thought things were over, GEARS 4 was officially announced coupled with a surprisingly far along gameplay demo that looked fun as hell. No sign of Marcus yet, but everything you know and love about the franchise was all there to impress. GEARS 4 is coming Holiday 2016 so there is plenty of time to learn more.
Once the curtains were drawn, it was great to know that Microsoft is seemingly pack on track, focused on the games, and focused on moving forward in a positive direction. With games like HALO 5, RISE OF THE TOMB RAIDER, SEA OF THIEVES, and GEARS 4 on the horizon, there is a lot to look forward to in the coming months. On a curious note, I was a bit shocked not to see anything about QUANTUM BREAK, CRACKDOWN, or PHANTOM DUST which were big reveals last year. Huh. O well, what we got was pretty great and actually has me excited about Microsoft once again.
In case you missed it:
E3 2015: Bethesda Press Conference Impressions
