There were a whole lot of rumours and questions going into Xbox E3 2019. We were promised games, promised news on Xcloud and promised a new console. What did Microsoft deliver in the end?
The Outer Worlds
Some very pointed anti corporate and anti colonial dialogue to start the show. This looks delightful. This looks very fallout new Vegas. Extravagant guns, free choice to act how you choose, and some pithy dialogue.
October 25 2019
Bleeding Edge
Ninja Theory take the stage.
Very pleased with the partnership, and have multiple games in development. One game was already several years in the making, third person action combat and multiplayer combat.
Technical alpha in a few weeks.
Alrighty, this has the same cartoony style as many games we’ve been seeing, but this looks significantly more goofy and cybernetic based. Abilities include using a giant mech suit made out of your guns, and also throwing your opponent in front of a train.
Ori and The Will of the Wisps
Seeing several boss fights.
A grotesque looking spider environment, with diffused lighting. A lava snake, a watery octopus. These look gorgeous, all of them.
February 11th 2020.
Minecraft Dungeons
4 player local and online co-op
Spring 2020
New game from Mojang, in the Minecraft world. Isometric Third person action rpg. This looks like a diablo a like, with 4 player co-op?
Minecraft’s aesthetic and world are instantly recognisable and this seems like a good bridging point between Minecraft and other styles of game.
Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order
New gameplay of controlling an At-At in game, along with further footage of the sequence we saw at the EA conference.
This is a fancy trailer, rather than the comprehensive trailer we saw.
Blair Witch
Horor game with a camera fleeing through a forest. Missing kids, you and your dog are investigating to find them. A variety of monsters and environments. Game seems to have a repeating looping plot through the footage. There’s an interesting mechanic there potentially.
CyberPunk 2077
Cinematic to start, rather than in game footage. Show the aftermath of a heist as the main character tries to sell on stolen chips. Obviously the deal goes a bit South. There seems to be characters who can remove your abilities. And now Keanu Reeves is in the game, and on the stage.
He’s excited about the opportunity apparently. And is really chewing up the stage as he describes what drew him to the game. Now he’s announced the release date as being: 16/04/2020
Spritfarer
2d magical creature game where you explore the world on a boat and collect a range of animal characters. Learn how to say good-bye. You seem to be helping these magical creatures to their rest. This is gorgeous. Looks like a beautiful cartoon.
Battletoads
3 player couch co op. This looks like a different cartoon.
RPG Time: The Legend Of Wright
Hand drawn in pencil And seemingly hand made game. The UI is made of cardboard and stickers. Based around the designs and construction of a child. In a comic book style. This is stunning.
ID @ Xbox
All on Xbox Game Pass at launch. Some of these look excellent, and the variety is fantastic. Xbox E3 2019 has a great line up of indie games to show.
Xbox Gamepass talk now.
New titles being announced, Batman Arkham Knight, Metro Exodus, Borderlands Handsome collection, Hollow Knight. All out on Gamepass today.
PC talk:
Xbox Game Pass for PC.
Today, the Gamepass launches. Over 100 games like Imperator Rome and Football Manager 2019, and Master Chief Collection. Launches in open Beta today.
We then get a sizzle reel which tellingly opens with Metro Exodus. (No longer solely on the Epic Game Store)
$10 a month.
Also, Xbox Game Pass ultimate.
Get everything. Gamepass on Xbox and PC, plus Gold on Xbox. All for $15. That is a properly ridiculous price. And initial sign up right now is only a dollar.
Microsoft Flight Simulator
4k footage and Satellite Data and Azure AI powered: Microsoft Flight Simulator just got a massive trailer on the E3 stage. Well I never. This looks astonishingly well realised, showing full footage of many real world areas with recognisable landmarks. Very impressive. On Xbox and PC in 2020
Age of Empires II Definitive Edition
Now in 4k, fully remastered audio New campaign starting the Last Khans
Coming out this fall
Wasteland 3
Wintry Post apocalyptic Colorado is the setting for a messy, gross looking RPG. So perfectly in tone for the series. Monsters, mechs and mayhem.
Psychonauts 2
Joining Xbox Studios is Double Fine Productions.
This giving them access to the developers of Psychonauts, Broken Age and Brutal Legends.
This looks like more Psychonauts. Platforming, strange characters and weirdness.
Lego Star Wars
New Lego Star Wars game. Features all nine movies in one game
Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga
(Tellingly, seems to be going back to the mimed version of the games, which is fantastic.)
Dragon Ball Z: Project Z Action RPG
This is a Japanese subbed trailer, showing off some massive fights, with the gameplay seemingly showing massive fights.
Annapurna interactive making an interactive thriller
12 Minutes
Top down of a couple in their apartment. A cold conversation reveals a man stuck in a time loop, trying to uncover the truth. This seems like a good version of the trope, repeating through storylines to find the truth.
Way to the Woods
A beautiful game about being a light emitting staff trying to bring your faun home through a post human world filled with shadowy monsters.
Coming 2020 (for real as the game has been delayed a few times)
Gears of War 5
Releasing September 10th, Xbox Game Pass ultimate gives early access. July for a competitive tech test, gamescom shows horde mode with character abilities
Escape
A 3 player co-op attacking mode as you try to plant a bomb in a hive and escape again. Starting from the enemy base, fight your way out before a bomb goes off.
All cinematic here, but the concept seems neat.
You can also get the chance to build levels and send them to your friends.
Get a thematically boring Terminator Tie in character if you pre order.
New Info on the Elite Controller. Re engineered with adjustable tension thumb sticks
Wrap around rubberised grip, Profile options, Bluetooth, Internal battery with rechargable stand (also USBc)
Dying Light 2
Odd, I assumed this was with Square Enix now they’re publishing. Big talk in the gameplay trailer as you play an infected character trying to retain his humanity.
Spring 2020 release
Forza Horizon 4
There’s a car on stage! Hooray. But wait, It’s made of Lego! This is a level of self awareness not yet seen on an E3 Stage.
More importantly, there’s a Lego Speed Champions DLC, which looks like an incredibly great version of the Lego Racers game. And real cars can play on the Lego maps. June 13th release
State of Decay 2: Heartland
New story missions, 2 paths. Seems to have the same map, just with new missions. Available right now
Phantasy Star Online 2
Phantasy Star Online 2 launches in the west
Cross play.
I can’t believe it’s finally coming out here. This seems to be everything released to date. Free to play, Powered by Azure, Spring 2020
Crossfire X
Smilegate
650 Million Players all over the world. First time on console
Basically Korean Counter Strike
Military themed game, first to console in 2020
Tales of Arise
Big old JRPG, in the tales fashion.
2020 release
Borderlands 3 trailer, showing off a whole bunch of stuff. This looks exceedingly like borderlands.
Nothing we haven’t seen yet though.
And now the handsome collection is on Gamepass, and the new linking dlc requires it.
Elden Ring
A new world created by Hidetaki Miyazaki and George RR Martin.
Good old cosmic forge, and some Japanese aesthetic monsters and humans.
Xcloud Talk
Public hands on of Xcloud.
Project Scarlett
One thing and thing only should be the focus: Gaming
The console was supposed to be one of the biggest discussions of Xbox E3 2019.
Big talk about reducing loading times, SSD therefore required, AMD chip, 120fps 8k variable refresh rate, hardware acceleration. Real time raytracing, backwards compatibility right back to the Original Xbox.
Holiday 2020
No name, just Project Scarlett 2020.
Halo Infinite
Halo Infinite launching with Project Scarlett in 2020
Cinematic sees chief being found by a lost pelican pilot, in the depths of space. Cortana is gone, The halo is damaged.
Roundup:
If Elden Ring hadn’t leaked, it would have been a massive deal. As it is, Microsoft slightly spinning their wheels with Xbox E3 2019. The indies all looked great, and I’m absolutely thrilled with the offerings of Gamepass on PC and Console. The issue is that with no more actual news on the console, and Halo still a year away, there’s not much that really pops for this year.
In Fact, one of the big surprises with Xbox E3 2019 was how much Microsoft tried to reach out across to Japan and Korea with Phantasy Star Online 2 getting a 7 year delayed western release, and Crossfire X allowing western fans to play a mega hit from Korea.