Let’s review Microsoft’s showing.
Xbox Gamescom 2015 Highs & Lows
Click through the images here for all the highlights, biggest games, and areas of improvement for Microsoft.
Highlights: Quantum Break gameplay and story details
Microsoft followed up its strong E3 showing with another compelling briefing at Gamescom. There wasn’t really an “Oprah moment” that left our jaws on the floor, but the show started off strong with a new look at Quantum Break and its time-bending gameplay. If you were on the fence about Quantum Break (I know I was), the game’s showing may have won you over. The time-stopping gameplay itself is pretty interesting, but the story beats teased in the video today really got me hooked.
Highlights: Xbox One backwards compatibility gets a release window
Xbox One backwards compatibility is finally (almost) here. One of Microsoft’s biggest Gamescom announcements was that the feature, currently available in testing for some users, will roll out to everyone this fall. There will be more than a hundred games available at launch, and what’s more, all future Xbox 360 Games With Gold titles will be supported. This new feature could be exactly what the Xbox One needs to help it catch up to the PlayStation 4.
Highlights: Halo Wars 2
Some probably never thought it would happen, but another big Microsoft announcement today was Halo Wars 2. The game is being developed by Total War studio Creative Assembly and will launch in fall 2016 for Xbox One and Windows 10 PCs. The original Halo Wars had its faults, sure, but it’s exciting and encouraging to see Microsoft bring the franchise back. I’m excited to see what Creative Assembly does with Halo Wars 2.
Highlights: Scalebound gameplay revealed
Another high point of Microsoft’s Gamescom briefing was the gameplay reveal for Platinum’s Scalebound. It looked quite impressive (more on that later). Though it bears some similarities in gameplay to Platinum’s other games, this one has dragons! It’s basically an adult version of How to Train Your Dragon.
Needs Improvement: Xbox One TV DVR isn’t coming soon
Microsoft had a strong overall Gamescom briefing, but they could have done better. Xbox One TV DVR functionality is a cool feature and I’m happy to see it finally arrive, but it’s not coming until 2016. Microsoft’s engineering team is no doubt busy with getting backwards compatibility up and running, but I would have been more impressed if Microsoft announced that TV DVR would be available in an update today or this week. Instead, we have to wait months.
Needs Improvement: What’s up with Kinect?
Following its no-show at E3 in June, Microsoft also did not address Kinect at all during their Gamescom briefing. We’re told there are still games in development for the motion-sensing camera, but Microsoft didn’t mention them today. If you bought an Xbox One with Kinect (remember how that was once required?) or purchased the camera separately, this conference was probably dampened for you by Microsoft’s silence on the subject.
Biggest Games: Quantum Break
Microsoft’s briefing hit the ground running with Quantum Break, the next game from the creators of Alan Wake and Max Payne. We got a deeper, extended look at the game’s trippy, time-bending gameplay–which was quite impressive. Microsoft also announced a launch date–April 5–and confirmed that X-Men’s Shawn Ashmore and Lord of the Rings star Dominic Monaghan would not only lend their voices and likeness to the game, but also the complementary TV show.
Biggest Games: Crackdown 3
We finally learned more about Crackdown 3 today. The big takeaway here is that the game will feature “100 percent destructible environments.” This is made possible by leveraging Xbox Live cloud servers, Microsoft said. It’s still somewhat early days for Crackdown 3, as the video we saw was pre-alpha footage. The full game is expected in 2016, and I’m eager to learn more.
Biggest Games: Scalebound
Scalebound, from Bayonetta and Metal Gear Rising developer Platinum Games, was another high point for Microsoft’s Gamescom showing. We finally saw gameplay, and it did not disappoint. It’s all the hacking and slashing you’d expect from a Platinum title, but you fight alongside a dragon. Not only that, but your character–who reminds us of Dante from Devil May Cry with his one-liners–can take on the attributes of a dragon. It’s clear the game has potential. Scalebound launches in 2016 only for Xbox One.
Biggest Games: Halo 5
Halo 5: Guardians continues to impress. We learned about the massive-scale Warzone mode at E3, but Halo’s showing at Gamescom was dedicated to the smaller, more intimate Arena mode. It seems that Halo purists (like myself) will be happy with Halo 5, as the footage focused on the the fast-paced, frenetic, and close-quarters combat that fans have come to love over the years. Halo 5 launches for Xbox One on October 27.
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