Microsoft opened their 2018 E3 presentation with a Trailer for Halo Infinite. Lush landscapes dotted with the sort of buildings and vehicles you would expect from a Halo title were shown as a team of 3 soldiers walked around. Master Chief appeared at the end of the trailer immediately before a fade-out to the title screen. No additional information about Halo Infinite was given.

Phil Spencer then took the stage to give the traditional E3 PR speech about games as an art form, etc. Spencer Revealed that Microsoft’s conference would feature 50 games in total, including 15 world premiers and 18 exclusive titles.

Ori and the Will of the Wisps was the second title shown at the conference. Will of the Wisps shares the same beautiful art style of its predecessor. The trailer was composed almost entirely of gameplay and revealed a release window of 2019.

Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice was the first game of the conference to really get my attention. From Software’s new title appears to be set in a feudal Japan, based on character clothing and architecture. The protagonist of the game has his hand cut off, only to have it replaced with what looks to be a prosthetic of both wood and bone. This new hand is a focal point of the gameplay, as it transforms multiple times during the trailer into shields, weapons, and a grappling hook. Sekiro is being published by Activision and will release on Xbox, Playstation and PC in 2019.

Todd Howard made an appearance next, surprising given Bethesda’s planned showcase a handful of hours later. Howard announced that Fallout 4 would be available via Game Pass immediately and gave some details regarding Fallout 76. Howard confirmed that 76 has the earliest setting in the Fallout franchise and takes place in West Virginia. Todd Howard also claimed that Fallout 76’s world would be 4 times larger than that of Fallout 4. A new trailer was shown, but no gameplay details were given.

Next up on the docket was The Awesome Adventures of Captain Spirit, developed by DONTNOD. Captain Spirit appears to be about a child and his superhero fantasies and is set in the same universe as DONTNOD’s Life is Strange. The only plot details given in the reveal trailer were that the protagonist is being picked on at school, has a likely-alcoholic father, and a dead mother. We won’t have to wait long for the rest, however, as Captain Spirit will be available to download on June 26 for free on Xbox, PS4, and PC.

The conference immediately dove into a new trailer for Crackdown 3, featuring Terry Crews yelling, shooting guns, and demonstrating the superhero-esque abilities one would expect. Vehicles were shown off as having the ability to drive up the sides of buildings and transform in tank-like assault vehicles. A gun that fires explosive rubber ducks was also shown (and I loved it). The trailer confirmed the recent delay rumors, claiming a new release window of February 2019.

Nier: Automata was confirmed to be on its way to Xbox One with the reveal of the Become As Gods Edition, to be released on June 26.

A new trailer for Metro: Exodus was shown next, with what appeared to be an on-the-fly weapon modification system. I’m not familiar enough with the franchise to really explain more of what was shown. I also took a bathroom break and missed the rest.

Phil Spencer returned to the stage to announce that Kingdom Hearts III would be coming to the Xbox One. The obligatory trailer that followed showed off a new Frozen world, complete with shield sledding. Other worlds seen in the past were also shown, such as Monsters, Inc. To drive home the point that I have absolutely no idea what has happened since Kingdom Hearts II, several characters I believed to be dead also appeared.

More content for Sea of Thieves was revealed, as both Cursed Sails and Forsaken Shores got release windows. Cursed Sails was announced for July and Forsaken Shores is slated for September. Volcanic islands and roving ghost ships were mentioned during an eerie premonition from an Order of Souls vendor.

Battlefield V was shown, but no new details were given.

Forza Horizon 4 received a hefty portion of the presentation, as you would expect for a first party pillar. Taking place in Great Britain, Horizon 4 brings changing seasons to the table for the first time in series history. What may be a beautiful lake in spring and summer may freeze solid and become drivable in winter. Cooperative play has been integrated more smoothly into the shared online experience of Horizon 4, and a 60fps mode was announced for Xbox One X users. Forza Horizon 4 will be released on Xbox One and PC on October 7 and will be available on Game Pass.

Phil Spencer returned to the stage to proclaim that Xbox was going to renew its efforts on first-party titles and announced 5 new studio acquisitions. First was a brand-new Santa Monica-based studio called The Initiative. State of Decay 2 developers Undead Labs were announced as new members of Microsoft Studios. Forza Horizon developers Playground Games were also announced as a new part of the Microsoft fold, and a new open-world project is apparently in the works. Ninja Theory, developers of last year’s hit Hellblade, also joined Microsoft Studios as did We Happy Few developer Compulsion Games.

We Happy Few received a new trailer, showcasing the darker elements of the game’s world and an August 10 release date.

New content for Playerunknown’s Battlegrounds was shown next. A new map was promised for summer 2018 as well as a new “War Mode”. Both features are already available on the PC version of the game. A new snowy map was also teased, with a winter release date announcement.

Tales of Vesperia: Definitive Edition was announced for release this winter.

The Division 2 was given an in-depth trailer and gameplay demonstration. The Division 2 is set in Washington D.C. and has a focus on conflict between groups of remaining survivors. The gameplay demonstration confirmed The Division 2 isn’t straying very far from the formula of its predecessor, not to mention the always-embarrassing fake chatter. The Division 2 will launch on March 15, 2019.

Ashley Speicher, head of engineering for Game Pass, was next on stage to speak. Speicher promoted Game Pass’ new “FastStart” program, an AI-based system designed to pinpoint more reliable “ready to play” points during game downloads. New titles were also announced for Game Pass, starting with Halo: The Master Chief Collection confirmed for later this year. The Division, Elder Scrolls Online, and Fallout 4 were announced for immediate launch on the service. Speicher also claims that efforts are being made to secure day-one Game Pass access for more titles in the future.

A montage of indie games followed all the Game Pass talk, but to be honest with you they went by too quickly for me to really make note of any of them.

Shadow of the Tomb Raider was shown next, with an expectedly action-packed trailer featuring a raging flood or river washing a town away as Lara attempts to keep her head above water. Apparently, jaguars will be a hostile force in the game but can be thwarted in the same way as a Predator.

A new skateboarding game was revealed in the next trailer, and the Mixer chat I was in was CERTAIN this was Skate 4. Alas, it was not to be, as the game announced it was in fact Session. Session will be console exclusive to the Xbox One at launch. No launch window was given.

Black Desert Online was revealed to be console exclusive at launch to the Xbox One as well.

In something of a surprise, Devil May Cry 5 was revealed to the world through a high-intensity trailer depicting Nero battling with some (presumably) demons. Nero’s sporting a robot hand this time around, and seems to have a new travelling companion (though I didn’t play DMC4, and may be lacking some knowledge). It looks like the DMC faithful will finally get the sequel they’ve been waiting for.

Perhaps my favorite game of the conference, Cuphead: The Delicious Last Course was revealed as a console exclusive for the Xbox One. The short reveal trailer outlined a new playable character, Ms. Chalice (the Legendary Chalice from the first game), as well as a new NPC, Chef Saltbaker. The Delicious Last Course is expected to release in 2019.

Tunic is an adorable little Zelda-like game starring the most delightful little fox I’ve seen outside of Animal Crossing. Tunic will be console exclusive to Xbox One at launch, but no date has been given. Tunic was one of the most aesthetically pleasing games of the conference, and I am eager to see more.

Bandai-Namco revealed their next title, Jump Force, a game where a whole bunch of anime dudes fight each other for unclear reasons in what appears to be a ruined Earth. Naruto, Goku, Frieza, and a guy from One Piece (which I haven’t seen) appeared in the trailer, as did some guys from Death Note. Jump Force is expected to release in 2019.

Dying Light 2 got announced, depicting a world still in the midst of a zombie apocalypse. New factions are vying for power, and player choices will play an active role in which sect rises to the top. One example given gave a settlement running water and more security, but a different choice creates a whole water black market and all the crime that brings. But the world is still dangerous, “At night things tend to get a lot…darker.” A real human being said that. On stage. And was paid to do so.

There’s a new Battletoads coming in 2019. It features 3 player co-op.

Just Cause will return with Just Cause 4. A new trailer promises the same movement and explosion-riddled gameplay fans of the series have come to love and expect. A huge tornado was also in the trailer, implying natural disasters can occur to up the scale of the destruction.

Then Microsoft goofed.

The COG logo from Gears of War came on screen. The chat excitedly chattered, “Gears 5! Gears 5!” A figure breaks through the wall. It’s…a Funko Pop figure. This was a trailer for a Funko Pop game. A game about Funko Pops. Worse still, a mobile game about Gears of War Funko Pops. Gears POP! sent Mixer into an uproar, but it was too late. Gears POP! was given a 2019 release window.

Next up, a Gears of War turn-based strategy game! Gears Tactics was announced and briefly described, with almost no details of consequence given.

Then the prayers of the Mixer chat were answered, and Gears of War 5 was revealed. I don’t know the story of Gears of War, so I will do my best to describe what happened. Someone, likely a man is dead. A woman is sad about this, her name is Kate. More large men arrive on the scene and argue briefly. Kate reveals to the group that she is having prophetic nightmares and produces a necklace that I don’t see the significance of, but everyone else does. The idea is offered that Kate might be possessed by the necklace. Kate yells to her superior officer and goes wakeboarding on some ice.

Phil Spencer came back and said some things about Microsoft AI and console-quality game streaming. Phil also says work on the next Xbox has already begun. He says his thank yous and begins to say goodby-

OH NO

HACKERS ARE HERE

Just kidding, it’s just the reveal of Cyberpunk 2077. It’s very future-y, more future-y than I would anticipate 2077 to appear. Some people are robots. Some people are just partially robots. A man shoots sparks out of all his face holes. It looks pretty rad.

Did Microsoft sell me an Xbox this year? No. But they had a MUCH better conference than they did in 2017.

The post E3 2018: Microsoft’s Xbox Conference appeared first on OnPause.