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'The Evil Within 2' will ramp up the scares October 13th
The Evil Within 2 exists and you'll be able to play it across Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and PC on October 13th -- Friday the 13th, that is. The series comes from Shinji Mikami, the director of the original Resident Evil and Resident Evil 4, the latter of which is widely considered to be one of the best games of all time, horror or otherwise.
Watch Bethesda's E3 2017 event live right here at midnight ET
When it comes to E3 press conferences, Bethesda is kind of a wild card. The company is the steward of iconic franchises like The Elder Scrolls, Dishonored and Doom, but its press conference is often something of a surprise. The company has a habit of reviving old franchises unexpectedly, or releasing games just months after their public announcement. It's almost best to avoid predicting what the company is going to announce and just sit back and enjoy the show. And that's where we are -- welcome to the Bethesda E3 press conference! You'll find the company's livestream embedded right here on this post, as well as on YouTube and Twitch.
Taste amateur football glory with 'Madden 18’s' ‘Longshot’ mode
To say that I miss NCAA Football games is a massive understatement. Those games were my respite from classwork in college and continued to be a staple in my library for a few years after. Of course, EA hasn't made a college football game since 2012 after a pricey lawsuit over the use of athletes' likenesses in the franchise. Thankfully, the studio is giving us a new option for amateur football glory this fall via Madden 18's "Longshot" story mode.
'Star Wars Battlefront II' makes being the bad guy feel normal
When Disney gave Electronic Arts the exclusive gaming rights to Star Wars, the company took the brand almost literally. EA's first take on the Battlefront franchise was little more than a war among the stars -- filled with the sights, sounds and characters of George Lucas' iconic space opera but completely devoid of story. The result was a gorgeous title that felt a little incomplete. With Star Wars: Battlefront II, EA is changing that. This time, narrative is key.
BioWare’s ‘Anthem’ trailer shows off shared-world sci-fi mayhem
Ready for another look at Anthem? The upcoming BioWare title was formally announced at EA's press conference yesterday with a short CG trailer. But beyond the setting, a futuristic planet filled with mountains and tropical forests, and the heroes, some armor-clad space soldiers, there was little to glean from the video. Today, at Microsoft's E3 press conference, we were shown a whole lot more. The first gameplay reveal has the player venturing into the wilderness in search of some workers who have landed themselves in a bit of trouble. It's a breathtaking tour of the game's expansive world, highlighting exploration and cooperative combat.
The beautiful 'Ori and the Will of the Wisp' comes to Xbox One
Little over a year since physical copies of the award-winning Ori and the Blind Forest hit stores, and we finally have a sequel. Yep, Ori and the Will of the Wisp looks to be an even more sumptuous two-dimensional platformer, and will arrive with Xbox One X optimizations as well as a 4K option if you have the appropriate hardware. We're hoping it will be a bit more forgiving than the original -- or maybe that was part of its charm? There's no word yet on release date, but we'll update you when we know more.
Microsoft's existing games will play in 4K on your Xbox One X
You won't have to spring for new games to take advantage of the Xbox One X's 4K prowess. Microsoft is updating several of its own games to play in 4K on the newer console. In addition to the already-announced Minecraft upgrade, you can expect to see the higher resolution in Gears of War 4, Forza Horizon 3, Killer Instinct and Halo Wars 2 (what, no Halo 5?), among others. Unsurprisingly, all of the updates will be free -- Microsoft wants there to be as many One X-ready titles as possible.
Original Xbox games are coming to Xbox One backward compatibility
After bringing 385 Xbox 360 titles to the Xbox One's backward-compatibility feature, Microsoft is going even further back in time. The company announced at E3 today that it'll soon offer original Xbox titles on the Xbox One as well. That includes Crimson Skies: High Road to Revenge, one of the console's best titles. Just like with Xbox 360 titles, you'll also be able to insert Xbox discs to access your games, according to Xbox marketing lead Albert Penello. Microsoft says it'll share more details when the program officially launches later this year. While it might seem strange for the company to spend resources bringing over older games, it's a smart way to appease Xbox fans, and it could introduce a whole new generation of gamers to some memorable titles.
'PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds' will hit Xbox One this year
If you even casually follow large scale multiplayer shooter games like DayZ and Arma 3, you've probably heard of PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds. This battle royale game has taken the PC gaming community by storm by remixing the murder-competition gameplay of a popular Arma 3 mod into a fast paced and tense experience -- and the console experience will be available to Xbox One owners first as a launch exclusive. When will PS4 owners get access? It's hard to say: Sony doesn't have a preview program for broken, unfinished games.
Hand-drawn side-scroller 'Cuphead' arrives on September 29th
The development of Cuphead has been prolonged, to put it mildly (we first saw it back in 2014), but it's finally here... almost. Studio MDHR and Microsoft have announced that the 1930s-style side-scroller will be available for Xbox One and Windows PCs on September 29th. The release date isn't shocking when the developers had already pushed the game to 2017, but it's still a relief for those who've wondered whether the title would ever exist outside of trade show demos. Given the nature of the title, though, it's almost surprising that it's arriving as quickly as it has.
'Sea of Thieves' won't take you on an epic pirate adventure until 2018
When Rare teased us with Sea of Thieves last year, it left the release date up in the air. Sure, we knew the game would set us on an adventure across the high seas, but we had no idea when we would embark on our quest for loot. Now we know. Sort of. Today at E3, the company penned the adventure in for a 2018 release date, exclusive for Xbox One and Windows 10.
'Crackdown 3' delivers cel-shaded destruction with Terry Crews
It's a year late, but Crackdown 3 is finally landing on November 7th, right alongside the Xbox One X's launch. Just like before, the focus is on teaming up with friends and causing plenty of destruction in huge, open environments. This time around though, you've got Terry Crews by your side. The game looks great, with a cyberpunk-heavy cel-shaded style and more mayhem than we've ever seen before in a Crackdown game. But most importantly, it features some gorgeous explosions.
'Gone Home' follow-up 'Tacoma' arrives August 2nd
At last, we have a release date for Fullbright's Gone Home follow-up, Tacoma: August 2nd. The Portland-based developer showed a brief trailer during Microsoft's E3 press conference, full of beautiful spaceship corridors and meeting rooms. The game, if you're unfamiliar, will put you in the role of galactic detective, rewatching old holographic recordings in order to unravel what happened aboard the station. It's been a long time coming: The game was first announced at The Game Awards in 2014, and was delayed to "Spring 2017" more than a year ago. But given how influential Gone Home was, we're more than happy with the wait.
'Dragon Ball FighterZ' is a lavish 2D fighter coming to Xbox One
If you loved the visual style of the Naruto: Ultimate Storm series, or just carry a childhood fascination with the Dragonball series (still!), Dragonball FighterZ might be for you. Three-on-three battles, powered-up final forms, insane projectiles and energy beams are just the start. Notably the game going back to two-dimensional beat-em-up basics. Yep, while scene transitions and high-powered moves will see the camera shift to make fights more cinematic, the majority of the battle will place on just one plane -- with some teleporting and lighting fast dodging thrown into the mix. The game will launch (on Xbox One) in early 2018 -- though it doesn't appear to be a Microsoft exclusive.
Cyberpunk game 'The Last Night' revealed as Xbox 'launch exclusive'
It's been a couple of years since we checked in on The Last Night, but the indie game just popped up during Microsoft's E3 2017 briefing, now tagged as a "launch exclusive." The Studio Ghibli-inspired dark fantasy game is looking as beautiful as ever and of course, the trailer is presented in Xbox One X-ready 4K resolution. Billed as a "cinematic platformer," it brings equal amounts of rain, neon and atmosphere -- sort of like an 8-bit Frame City Killer. Check back later this week when we have its developers, Odd Tales, join us for a live interview on Engadget's E3 stage.
'Minecraft' makes the leap to 4K this fall
Minecraft isn't just getting unified online play this year -- it's also receiving a huge image quality boost. Microsoft and Mojang have unveiled a Super Duper Graphics Pack (no really, that's the name) that will give the building game a major visual upgrade, including 4K resolution, high dynamic range, sharper textures and loads of special effects (including light rays and fancier water). Logically, you'll need an Xbox One X or a beefy Windows 10 PC to get the 4K HDR experience. The add-on is free when it arrives this fall, and the developers are quick to stress that it's strictly optional -- you can stick to the regular graphics if the Super Duper pack feels blasphemous to you.
Microsoft will unify most 'Minecraft' platforms this summer
Minecraft is about to enter its final form. In August, the Better Together update will land and unify the game across nearly every platform, from iOS and Android to Xbox One and Nintendo Switch. This unification comes courtesy of the Bedrock Engine, which currently powers all mobile, Windows 10, Amazon Fire and VR versions of the game. Now, it won't matter which platform your friends use to play Minecraft -- every version will be the same, they'll share DLC and updates, and all players will be able to create new worlds together. Well, nearly all. The PlayStation 4 and Xbox 360 versions of Minecraft are not included in the initial "Better Together" update. "Beginning with Xbox One and Nintendo Switch, we'll be expanding that code base so that all -- the vast majority of our community is united," marketing lead Emily Orrson says.
Zombies won't invade 'State of Decay 2' until spring 2018
Microsoft may have teased the invasion of the undead at last year's E3, but during the 2017 installment we're still not getting a release date for the sequel to State of Decay. In fact, the game has been delayed. Next spring, you can enter the zombie apocalypse in the survival horror State of Decay 2 on Xbox One and Windows 10. Basically, then, after being slated to launch this year, the title won't arrive until 2018.
'Assassin's Creed Origins' arrives October 27th
Gladiator battles, pyramids and hippos. Yes, hippos. Assassin's Creed Origins will tell you the story of how the assassin brotherhood began, with Bayek, an Egyptian sherif. While the rumors of an Egypt-based title have been around for weeks, we finally got to see how that will shape the stealthy-stabby series.
'Metro: Exodus' brings post-apocalyptic gameplay to Xbox One X
Microsoft has plenty of Xbox One X exclusives to show at E3, but here's one you might not have expected: a brand new Metro game. 4A Games has taken the wraps off of Metro: Exodus, the next installment in the post-apocalyptic franchise. There's precious little to know about the plot line at this point, but it's clear that the game will make good use of the One X's hardware -- even the devastated Russian landscape looks gorgeous. The title is a console exclusive on Xboxes, and it'll also be available for Windows 10 when it arrives sometime in 2018.
