E3 2017 Microsoft Press Conference Recap

The Microsoft E3 2017 Press Conference started with a slogan that was going to be, largely the emphasis of the entire night. “It all leads to this: 4K Ultra HD”. And, indeed, this was followed by the official announcement of the Xbox One X, formerly known as Project Scorpio, which will launch worldwide on November 7th for the price of $499. Six teraflops, a GPU that goes up to 1172 MhZ , 12GB GDDR5 memory and 326 gb/s memory bandwith are the given specs, all with the aim of providing true 4k gaming on consoles. All Xbox One accessories and your current game library will be compatible with the Xbox One X. Without a 4K TV, supersampling and upscaling will be available options. Furthermore, the Backwards Compatibility program is getting expanded to include original Xbox titles. Crimson Skies, will be available later this year. On top of that, Over 30 3rd party titles will receive free updates when Xbox One X will be out to make them look and run at the machine’s maximum capabilities.

Moving on to the games, it’s worth noting that there were 42 announcements, out of which 22 were console exclusives. Now, console exclusivity does not necessarily exclude the games making their way over to PC. Indeed, some had an addendum saying that they would be coming to the Windows 10 Store, however, there was no clear mention whether or not Microsoft will be disregarding older versions for an attempted push at popularizing its Windows Store. Thus, you may not find info regarding exclusivity next to every item on the list that follows.

Forza Motorsport 7 got things going. Coming to the Xbox One X and the Windows 10 store exclusively, the title will run in 4k @ 60 FPS and will launch on October 3rd. Alongside the game, the Porsche 2018 911 GT2RS was shown for the first time to a live audience. Yes, we’re talking a real car, although the purpose does seem to be a tad obscure to me. Following Forza, was an announcement that surprised, at least me, quite abit. Metro: Exodus is set for a 2018 release and will see Artyom adventuring more on the surface of the planet. The Metro: Exodus gameplay trailer included a section of surface gameplay with clearly breathable air and a large, mutated bear acting as foe.

The star of recent leaks, Assassin’s Creed Origins was unveiled. The game is set in Ancient Egypt, having players witness the birth of the Assassin Brotherhood. Bayek, the protagonist, is one of the last magi, protector of his community. He ends up founding the brotherhood in a struggle against “dark, corrupting forces”. RPG elements are said to be present alongside the use of an eagle for scouting and tagging foes. The game looked good, but the gameplay showcased what we’ve already seen in past Assassin’s Creed games. Here’s for hoping some new elements will make their way into the title when it releases on October 27th. Meanwhile, have a look at the Assassin's Creed: Origins Gameplay Trailer.

Brendan Green was present to announce PLAYERUNKNOWN’S BATTLEGROUNDS coming to Xbox One and Xbox One S later this year. Following, was Deep Rock Galactic which seems to be a 4 player sci-fi co-op game of sorts that involves mining and underground bug fights. State Of Decay 2 is also set to come in Spring 2018 for those missing zombie slaughter. The Darwin Project will be a smaller, more focused, battle royale type of experience coming to both Xbox One and the Windows 10 Store. 6 players face off against each other, the goal being to be the last man standing. The twist is that strean viewers can, apparently, leave tips straight on the screen to help players, or so my tired eyes gathered. We’ll be sure to get back to this as soon as more info becomes available.

You know your upcoming console is breaking new grounds when 4K Minecraft gets announced for it. The console version is set to come out in Fall 2017. It will include a Super Duper Graphics Pack, which brings enhanced graphics to the table. That’s 4K Minecraft, y’all. Let it sink in a bit. Early 2018 will grace us with Dragon Ball FighterZ and its 3v3 battles featuring characters from the beloved anime/manga. Black Desert Online (titled Black Desert) is also set to come to Xbox One in Early 2018. Odd Games presented a trailer for The Last Night, a pixel art side scroller with a cyberpunk vibe. Annapurna Interactive brought trailers for two titles, The Artful Escape and Ashen. Code Vein, Bandai Namco’s newest action RPG was also included in the lineup.

We got a serving of Sea Of Thieves gameplay, or bits of it at least, which featured diving underwater for treasure, sailing seas, naval combat, treasure hunting and using cannons to blast yourself unto an enemy ship. Fullbright’s newest title, Tacoma, is coming out on the 2nd of August. Super Lucky’s Tale and Crackdown 3 share a release date of November 7th, both being Xbox One and Windows 10 Store exclusives. Cuphead, the now-famous platformer taking its graphical style from old cartoons, will be coming out on the 29th of September. The Life Is Strange prequel, named Life Is Strange: Before The Storm, is a thing, the first of three episodes coming out on the 31st of August.

Middle Earth: Shadow of War was also there, alongside one of the funniest orcs in existence. The trailer showed the expanded Nemesis system, together with preparing to assault a keep controlled by one of your nemeses. The game’s world is said to be expanded to include Saragost and Cirith Ungol. Players can now be tracked across the world by nemeses. The title is set to come out on October 10th, 2017. Ori and the Will Of The Wisps received a trailer that, while not showing gameplay, was quite possibly the most emotional, stand out moment of the entire conference.

Lastly, Bioware’s Anthem was present, as promised yesterday during the EA Press Conference. Running on Frostbite, it’s set in a future where humanity, or pockets of it at least, are huddled together behind a wall. Players will find themselves in the boots of Freelancers who’ve access to exosuits, which allow them to brave what’s beyond the wall. The exosuits fulfill different roles (a mortar-wielding tank and a multi-rocket ranger were already showcased) and are heavily customizable. The title has a co-op focus, the Anthem gameplay trailer having up to four players band together.

Microsoft came with news of its upcoming mid-generation console and a good offering of trailers which, I believe, made for a great conference, if perhaps somewhat lacking in surprises. If we’re talking personal favorites, it’d have to be something along the lines of the Metro: Exodus announcement, Bruz, the orc from the Shadow of War gameplay trailer and the Ori and the Will Of The Wisps announcement. The Microsoft conference has picked up the pace quite a bit, compared to the EA press conference, and we’re curious to see what else will be announced. What were your favorites from yesterday? Let us know in the comments below.

E3 2017 EA Press Conference Recap

Bogdan Robert, NoobFeed
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