[E3 2018] Xbox E3 Briefing: 50 games, 18 exclusives, 15 world premieres

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Microsoft’s annual Xbox E3 Briefing is almost upon us. A couple months ago, Microsoft promised that it would be their “biggest E3 showing ever,” and yesterday Phil Spencer — Head of Xbox — tweeted that Xbox would be premiering a whopping 15 games today at the Xbox E3 Briefing.

What can we expect?

One thing that Microsoft and the Xbox One has long been criticized for has been the lack of exclusives to drive gamers to the console. The company has made a few comments recently which seemingly promise a focus on more games and exclusive games for the console. With Crackdown 3 being delayed until February of next year, Xbox better have some big announcements and releases coming soon if they want to appease hardcore gaming fans. We’ll most likely see a Forza Horizon 4 announcement and, hopefully, we’ll get some details about the rumoured Fable game Playground Games is working on. Halo and Gears of War are also due for new titles, we’ll have to wait and see exactly what games Xbox will be premiering… but you can be guaranteed that not all of them will be Xbox exclusives.

As far as hardware is concerned, given the Xbox One X just released, there probably won’t be anything in the way of a new console, however, the Xbox Elite Wireless Controller has been rumoured to be getting an updated version for some time now.

Xbox has made some pretty big strides over the last year, including bringing Microsoft exclusive titles like State of Decay 2 and Sea of Thieves to their Xbox Game Pass subscription service the day they launch. EA announced Origin Access Premier yesterday which adds new EA games on the day of release to their game subscription service but there was no mention of the new games coming to the Xbox EA Access program. Hopefully, Microsoft has an announcement later today on that front.

Xbox E3 Briefing at E3 2018

In case you missed it, you can watch the Xbox E3 Briefing below or skip past for a quick recap and overview of all the games Xbox announced at the event.

Halo Infinite

The stage looks to be filled with plenty of Xboxes hooked up to monitors. First out of the gate, Xbox is starting off with a game trailer. It’s Halo Infinite!

Phil Spencer takes the stage and mentions that Halo Infinite takes us on Master Chief’s biggest mission yet.

Phil Spencer

  • 100% of proceeds from tickets to FanFest are going to Gamers Outreach.
  • Gaming brings us together, unites us.
  • Gaming fosters real community and reaches across race, age, gender, and geography.
  • Spencer believes that “gaming is the great unifier.”
  • 50 games, 18 exclusives, 15 world premieres

Ori and the Will of the Wisps

The first Xbox Exclusive is up – a side scroller with a fantastic art style and a great mood.

Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice

World Premiere reveal. Activision, From Software bringing us what looks to be a feudal Japan set game. Coming 2019.

Fallout 76

Todd Howard from Bethesda takes the stage. Mentions the Bethesda E3 event in a few hours. Fallout 4 coming to Xbox Game pass starting today. Here’s an exclusive look at Fallout 76 – the prequel to all the other games. It’s four times the size of Fallout 4. Set in the hills of West Virginia. The game will also be 4K UHD Xbox One X Enhanced.

The Awesome Adventures of Captain Spirit

Don’t Nod and Square Enix are bringing us an original story from the Life is Strange universe. Coming to the Xbox Store June 26th for FREE.

In The Awesome Adventures of Captain Spirit, you play as Chris, an ordinary 10-year old boy who dreams of being a super hero. Chris has a big imagination that will take him on all sorts of adventures, but on this particular Saturday something truly extraordinary will happen to him…

This stand-alone adventure that will also give you a glimpse into what the brand-new story and characters of Life is Strange 2 will be… but only if you’re clever enough to piece the clues together!

Crackdown 3

Xbox exclusive, another Terry Crews trailer. We already know this one has been delayed until February 2019.

https://youtu.be/YC4oty9jnMU

NieR:Automata

Coming to Xbox One June 26th.

Invaders from another world attack without warning – unleashing the machine lifeforms. To break the deadlock, a new breed of android infantry is sent into the fray: the YoRHa squad. Highly-acclaimed and award-winning NieR:Automata™ is a fresh take on the action role-playing game (RPG) genre that gracefully blends mesmerising action with a captivating story. The NieR:Automata™ BECOME AS GODS Edition includes the action-packed 3C3C1D119440927 DLC which features “Revealing Outfit” costume for 2B, “Young Man’s Outfit” costume for 9S and “Destroyer Outfit” costume for A2. After completing new sub-quests in this DLC, you can enjoy playing the game while wearing these costumes from NieR Replicant. Sub-quests take the form of three different battle challenges at three different colosseums.

Metro Exodus

Coming to Windows 10 as well (Xbox Play Anywhere). February 22, 2019.

Kingdom Hearts

For the first time ever, Kingdom Hearts is coming to Xbox.

Sea of Thieves

An Xbox Exclusive, currently available to purchase and on the Xbox Game Pass, this Xbox Play Anywhere game is getting new content.

Battlefield V

Play a young Norweigen soldier during the German occupation in the “Nordlys” story.

Forza Horizon 4

Exclusive world premiere… Forza Horizon 4 is set in Britain, brings motorbikes. Ralph Fulton from Playground Games takes the stage to talk Forza Horizon 4. Features dynamic seasons in a shared open world. When you play, you’re playing with everyone else around the world. Every vehicle you see is another player. A new quick chat feature allows you to quickly communicate with other racers. Seasons are synced for everyone at the same time.

#Forzathon Live are new cooperation Forza events. Coming on October 2, 2018 and is included in Xbox Game Pass on launch day as an Xbox Play Anywhere title.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VmQNo8xtcAg

Microsoft Studios

Microsoft Studios is upping their commitment to original games and Xbox Exclusives. The Initiative is a new Microsoft Studio. Undead Labs (State of Decay 2) is now a Microsoft Studio. Playground Games has also been acquired by Microsoft and will continue to work on Forza Horizon as well as a new IP. Ninja Theory (Hellblade) has also been acquired by Microsoft Studios. Compulsion Games (We Happy Few) is also joining Microsoft Studios.

“The original games we create at Microsoft Studios are some of our biggest assets,” said Matt Booty, corporate vice president of Microsoft Studios. “Our growth strategy is to continue to expand the worlds that players love, while developing all-new exclusive games that deepen their engagement with our platform. We are thrilled to welcome five new studios into the Microsoft family. We believe these teams have the collective creative power and operational excellence to deliver the next industry game changers.”

Check out some of the facts from each of the new studios under Microsoft’s wing.

  • The Initiative. Based in Santa Monica, Calif., The Initiative is a brand-new Microsoft game development studio headed by industry veteran Darrell Gallagher that is working to create groundbreaking new worlds, characters, and game experiences.
  • Playground Games. Microsoft has acquired U.K.-based Playground Games, a development partner since 2010 that has helped grow the “Forza” franchise to new heights. In addition to its work on this year’s “Forza Horizon 4,” Playground Games will have a team dedicated to bringing their open-world expertise to an entirely new project.
  • Ninja Theory. The relationship between Ninja Theory and Microsoft started in 2000 when “Kung Fu Chaos” was in development for the original Xbox and culminated in the release of “Hellblade” on Xbox One earlier this year. Microsoft’s intent to acquire Ninja Theory will help ensure the creative team has the resources and freedom to bring more ambitious games like “Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice” to fans.
  • Undead Labs. Seattle-based Undead Labs is the creator of the popular “State of Decay” franchise, enjoyed by millions of fans worldwide. In the first two weeks since “State of Decay 2” launched, more than two million fans joined the fight to survive and took down more than two billion zombies. By entering into a letter of intent to acquire Undead Labs, Microsoft is signaling its commitment to growing the franchise and taking the zombie survival-fantasy genre to new heights.
  • Compulsion Games. As “We Happy Few” nears its full, multiplatform release on Aug. 10, Microsoft has entered into a letter of intent to acquire Montreal-based Compulsion Games. By joining the team at Microsoft Studios, Compulsion will have the resources, platform and freedom to take even bigger creative risks and create even more ambitious worlds with its future projects.

We Happy Few

Currently in Game Preview on the Xbox One, the game is almost ready for release.

Featuring an additional 20+ hours of narrative-driven gameplay, players will play as three uniquely flawed characters coming to terms with their past and uncovering the secrets of Wellington Wells, an island off the coast of England that seems to have been cut off from the rest of the world after World War II.

Set in retrofuturistic 1960s England, players will find a city ravaged by war and rebuilt by delusionally happy people. Everything appears joyful in Wellington Wells, including its roads, its people, and its omnipresent television personality: Uncle Jack! But, it’s actually a world on the brink of collapse. Unveil its dark history, and discover how and why its residents came to be so beguilingly happy.

We Happy Few will be available on August 10, 2018, for Xbox One, Xbox One X (with HDR and 4K support), PC, PlayStation®4, and PlayStation®4 Pro (with HDR and 4K support) for the suggested retail price of $59.99 USD/£49.99 GBP/€69.99 EUR.

PLAYERUNKNOWN’S BATTLEGROUNDS

Console exclusive. New modes, new content. Releasing Winter 2018.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4rG9noTfb4A

New content coming includes:

  • The ballistic shield, a new tool for setting up cover points for when you’re in otherwise exposed territory. It can be used simultaneously with sidearms, SMGs, melee weapons, and throwable grenades. The ballistic shield will first be introduced in War Mode for PC and Xbox later this year.
  • The snow map is currently very early in development, and we’re aiming to bring it to both PC and Xbox One this winter. Expect to see some new mechanics built around the snowy terrain.
  • Sanhok will come to PC on June 22, and to Xbox in late summer 2018.

Tales of Vesperia: Definitive Edition

World premiere. Coming to Xbox One this winter.

Tom Clancy’s The Division 2

World premiere. Six months after the outbreak began, civil war comes to the game on March 15, 2019.

Xbox Game Pass

Ashley Speicher takes the stage to talk about Xbox Game Pass (currently on Amazon for 50% off a six-month digital code) — the answer to having to choose between games. Gamers are not only playing more games but are spending more time playing games. FastStart uses machine learning techniques to get you playing twice as fast. FastStart launches for select titles in the June update. Halo MCC coming later this year, all new-exclusive games including Forza Horizon 4 and Crackdown 3 joining Xbox Game Pass on day they release. Third party games like Ashn and Warhammer Vermintide 2.

Available today on Xbox Game Pass: Tom Clancy’s The Division, Elder Scrolls Online Tamriel Unlimited, and Fallout 4. All Xbox One X Enhanced.

Shadow of the Tomb Raider

Another look at the upcoming Shadow of the Tomb Raider. Looks incredible not only graphically but potentially story-wise as well. Out September 14th 2018.

Session

As revealed at the Xbox E3 briefing today, creā-ture Studios’ skateboarding game Session is coming to Xbox One. The game will be playable on Xbox One Game Preview, as well as PC via early access, by the end of 2018. The full, final game will be released sometime in 2019.

Inspired by a golden era of skateboarding – the early ’90s through the early 2000s – Session captures the true culture of the sport, where the goals are expressing your creativity and learning progressive tricks through hard work, perseverance and a bit of madness. The game has authentic recreations of some of the most legendary skate spots on earth, where you can film your friends and blow minds by creating the gnarliest video parts (in classic VHS style, of course).

Session charts a line away from the arcade-style skateboarding games of the past. In Skate Mode, you’re using a fresh dual-stick control scheme to focus on landing difficult individual tricks. Each stick controls a foot to replicate authentic and intuitive skateboarding motion. When you’re not skating, you’re in Filmer Mode, capturing footage, then editing and sharing it. The camera system, inspired by the timeless late ’90s skate videos, gives players a new and more dynamic perspective on their tricks.

Black Desert

Another Console Launch Exclusive, MMORPG.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GMplC8YVrEs

Devil May Cry 5

World premiere of the continuation of the Devil May Cry series from Capcom after a 10-year hiatus.

Now, 10 years since the last iteration, Devil May Cry® 4, Director Hideaki Itsuno and the core team have reunited to conclude the long awaited Sons of Sparda saga.

Several years have passed in Devil May Cry 5 and the threat of demonic power, long since forgotten, has returned to menace the world once again. The demonic invasion begins with the seeds of a “demon tree” taking root in Red Grave City. This hellish incursion attracts the attention of the young demon hunter, Nero, an ally of Dante who now finds himself without his demonic arm, the source of much of his power. As Nero heads to Red Grave City in his motorhome named “Devil May Cry” with his partner Nico, he ruminates on how everything started. The loss of his demonic arm, the demonic invasion, and Dante’s unknown whereabouts. Things must be settled once and for all.

Cuphead in The Delicious Last Course

Console Launch Exclusive.

In Cuphead: The Delicious Last Course, Cuphead and Mugman are joined by Ms. Chalice for a DLC add-on adventure on a brand new island! With new weapons, new charms, and Ms. Chalice’s brand new abilities, take on a new cast of multi-faceted, screen-filling bosses to assist Chef Saltbaker in Cuphead’s final challenging quest.

Tunic

Exclusive game. Puzzle/exploration game.

World Premieres

The rest of these trailers are World Premieres.

Jump Force

Coming from Bandai Namco in 2019.

Universes collide as legendary manga heroes and villains are transported to our reality. Massive battles fill epic locales as good and evil clashes, while humankind hangs in the balance. Look for more details on JUMP FORCE soon and UNITE TO FIGHT in 2019!

Dying Light 2

Your choices will have genuine consequences on the game – from the environment to future story lines in the game.

Battletoads

Exclusive World Premiere, coming in 2019.

Just Cause 4

Rico is back, coming December 4, 2018.

Set in the fictional South American World of Solis, Just Cause 4 takes the series incredible destruction and unique physics to a whole new level with the introduction of Extreme Weather. Rico Rodriquez returns with his trademark parachute, wingsuit and of course, grapple hook, which is now massively enhanced and fully customisable.

Gears Pop!

Funko Pops styled Gears of War mobile game coming in 2019 from The Coalition.

Gears Tactics

PC tactical Gears of War game.

Gears 5

Play through the game as Kait fighting both external and internal battles. Xbox Play Anywhere title coming to Xbox One and Windows 10 in 2019. Will also be on Xbox Game Pass the day of release.

Wrap up

Phil Spencer started to end off by saying that Xbox is working on console-quality game streaming on any device. The hardware team is already deep into working on the next Xbox consoles. Spencer reaffirmed Microsoft’s commitment to gaming by reiterating the five new studios recently brought into the Microsoft Studios fold.

“There has never been a more exciting time to be part of the gaming industry, with creators large and small showcasing incredible new games for the more than two billion players around the world,” said Phil Spencer, head of Gaming at Microsoft. “At Microsoft, we are committed to empowering gamers to play the games they want, with the people they want, where they want.”

Cyberpunk 2077

Of course, it doesn’t end there. A “hack” appears on screen, crashing the briefing turning everything red. Another World Premiere. CD Projekt Red’s Cyberpunk 2077!

And there you have it. This year’s Xbox E3 Briefing was all about the games. What did you think about the games Xbox announced and showcased? Let us know in the comments below or on Google+, Twitter, or Facebook.

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