E3 2018 Part 2: Microsoft’s Exciting Show

Table of Contents

EA
Microsoft
Bethesda
Devolver Digital
Square Enix
Limited Run Games
Ubisoft
PC Gaming
Sony
Nintendo
Nintendo Treehouse & Miscellaneous Announcements

Microsoft’s 2018 Press Conference

My relationship with Microsoft is an odd one. I had an Xbox 360 before I had any other consoles from that generation, but since then, my tastes have been more aligned with Sony and Nintendo. Still, sometimes Microsoft’s press conferences have some interesting stuff…

(Note: I wasn’t able to watch this one live, so apologies for the long wait.)

They started out with a familiar name: Halo! Yes, Halo is back as Halo Infinite. I’m not entirely sure why it doesn’t get a number, and the trailer didn’t seem like Halo at first, but I’m intrigued. I also need to eventually play Halo 5, or at least catch up on the story.

The next game excited me, because I recognized its cuteness as being something to do with Ori and the Blind Forest (which I still need to play; darn backlog). This sequel is called Ori and the Will of the Wisps, and it looks beautiful. Take a look.

FromSoftware’s mysterious game came next. And you know what? It wasn’t any of the things fans speculated it might be, because it’s a new IP! It’s called Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, and it looks pretty cool.

At this point, I was surprised at how exciting the press conference was. Microsoft got off to a great start!

After a brief mention of Fallout 4, they showed a trailer for Fallout 76, which is a prequel. The Fallout series has never really been my thing, although I know it’s very popular.

When I saw Dontnod’s name come up for the next game, I wasn’t sure was to expect (since it wasn’t the game they recently announced)… but I definitely wasn’t expecting The Awesome Adventures of Captain Spirit. This is a free game set in the Life is Strange universe, coming out on June 26. It follows a little boy who dreams about adventures, and while it looks lighthearted, I’m not sure I trust Dontnod. According to the official announcement, it will contain clues about Life is Strange 2’s story.

Next up was Crackdown 3, which I have little interest in, followed by the announcement that Nier: Automata is coming to the Xbox One. That’s cool news for Xbox players, although it was leaked earlier.

Metro: Exodus will be out on February 22, which surprised me a bit since I actually thought it was already out.

And then it was time for Kingdom Hearts III! I thought they might show a trailer at Microsoft’s conference, but I never expected that twist at the end.

It looks like Sea of Thieves is getting some interesting updates, maybe with new story content, although I was still reeling from the Kingdom Hearts III trailer.

The Battlefield V and Forza Horizon 4 trailers normally would have left me a bit disinterested, but this time they gave me time to compose myself as I continued to think about the Kingdom Hearts III trailer.

(Can you guess which trailer had the biggest impact on me so far?)

Microsoft has acquired some new studios, which led into a trailer for We Happy Few. This is another one I thought already came out, but I guess that was Early Access.

There was a trailer for PUBG’s War Mode, and then… the rumors were true! Tales of Vesperia is being remastered as the Tales of Vesperia: Definitive Edition, which includes all the content from the PS3 version!

Other news suggests it’s coming to PS4/Switch/Steam as well. Meanwhile, I still have an unplayed Xbox 360 copy. This is what my backlog does to me.

They showed The Division 2 next, followed by GamePass news and a montage of indie games, and then a new trailer for Shadow of the Tomb Raider.

I wasn’t thrilled by the skateboarding game Session, but the next game intrigued me until they revealed it to be the MMORPG Black Desert.

Then it was time for another highly-rumored title, Devil May Cry 5!

Devil May Cry is another one of those series I really need to get into someday, but I know a bit about the controversy. This looks like it’s going back to the original canon and ignoring the controversial reboot.

(Nero also looks weirdly like the Scalebound protagonist.)

A new DLC was announced for Cuphead, and then they moved on to a very adorable indie game. As I watched the trailer, I found myself thinking “Hey, what happened to that other cute game I wanted?” only to get to the title reveal and realize this was the same game. I didn’t miss it! I still want Tunic.

A bunch of manga heroes are coming together in Jump Force, which was then followed by Dying Light 2 and a new Battletoads game. After the announcement of Just Cause 4 (another popular series I’ve never been interested in), the Gears of War developer announced… Gears Pop?

Yes, as in Funko Pop. After this cartoonish Gears mobile game, they announced a turn-based strategy game called Gears Tactics, and then before any fans could explode, they revealed Gears 5. For the past couple of entries, the trailers have intrigued me. Someone let me know – is Gears worth playing for the stories?

Phil Spencer took the stage again to talk some more about the Xbox brand and their future plans, and then the press conference “glitched” a la Scarecrow’s takeover a few years ago, because it was time for some cyberpunk…

Yes, the long-awaited new trailer for CD Projekt RED’s Cyberpunk 2077!

I didn’t really get a good sense for the game from this trailer, but it did do a fantastic job of presenting its cyberpunk world. It’s coming for the PC, PS4, and Xbox One, and more information is supposed to follow during E3.

Phew! That was quite a long, interesting press conference. Leagues above EA’s for sure, and much more exciting than I anticipated.

I think my biggest problem is that most of the games that interested me are multi-platform or at least coming to the PC. I still lack a compelling reason to get an Xbox One.

Anyway, share your thoughts on Microsoft’s conference in the comments and join me later for Bethesda and Devolver Digital!

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