Microsoft is going hard with E3 2017. The big push their making should be obvious, it’s Windows 10. Microsoft has made no secret of the fact that they’re aiming to dominate the desktop market with a single unified experience in Windows 10. And their approach to PC gaming has been no different.
Throughout E3 2017 their press conference, Microsoft showed off a variety of PC and console titles meant to wow the audience. From new IPs to established franchises, Microsoft is ready to fight the next phase of the war for gaming dominance. What follows will be a listing of all of the major titles discussed or shown, with some links to trailers or other information as it comes available. Keep checking back over the next couple of days as this page is bound to updated as new info becomes available.
Anthem
While it was first revealed at EA’s press conference yesterday, we now have the full gameplay reveal for EA’s new IP. Today we learned that we’ll be ‘Freelancers’ who fight in jetpacking exo-suits that will allow the player an impressive range of movement – even when underwater – in mutliplayer co-op missions. The game feels a lot like a sci-fi Attack on Titan due to the massive creatures you’ll be facing when you play it, so that’s pretty cool.
EA describe Anthem as an “action adventure” game rather than an RPG, previous details about Anthem mention “the great RPG character development and story progression that BioWare is known for.” Again, like Destiny, Anthem will feature heavy action and shooting mechanics, backed up by RPG features like skills and customization.
State of Decay 2
State of Decay 2 looks like it’s confined to Windows 10. At least, it’s marked with the “Windows 10 Exclusive” branding for now, so you probably won’t be seeing it on Steam. The zombie hordes return in Spring 2018, and this time players will be able to take them on in co-op gameplay with up to four players. Let’s hope the mission difficulty and variance is cranked up to eleven to account for the ease of gathering and defense this new setup will create.
State of Decay 2 will now have four player co-op. Early trailers and screenshots show a somewhat improved graphics and physics engine. The story of State of Decay 2 focuses on a small community attempting to survive after being abandoned by their military protectors. Players of the first game will likely notice the similarities this story has to the Lifeline DLC which featured a similar arc and setting, just from the perspective of soldiers and not civilians.
18 months after the zombie apocalypse, the military abandons a refugee camp in small-town America. Those left behind must band together to survive the fall of civilization and the rise of the undead. In State of Decay 2, it’s up to you to gather survivors, build a community, and redefine what it means to survive.
Crackdown 3
Microsoft had little in terms of real info to share on Crackdown 3. They did bring an awesome teaser trailer featuring Terry Crews though. The only other thing we know about this is the fact that Crackdown 3 now has a release date set for 7 November. But you can be sure to expect running, jumping, shooting and superhuman powers aplenty in this sequel.
https://youtu.be/k_9fG8hPCi0
The charismatic Terry Crews is here to show off an insane trailer for Crackdown 3, shown at E3 2017. Crackdown 3 is an upcoming open world action-adventure video game for Microsoft Windows and Xbox One with development being headed by British developers Sumo Digital and Reagent Games.
Expect all of the usual running, jumping, and collectible hunting from the previous games here too. Alongside the characteristic tounge-in-cheek humor and over the top style. Crackdown 3 will feel like the original game, but try to bring a fresh experience to the franchise. A neon-lit future metropolis will be the setting this time around as well. And players will be skipping from rooftop to rooftop, raining down rocket-propelled hell on bad guys just to watch their now charred bodies sail to the street below in all of their ragdoll glory.
Middle-earth: Shadow of War
The sequel to the stunning Shadow of Mordor has been teased for a while now. Microsoft brought some new details to the table in the form of a new gameplay trailer. It detailed the improved Nemesis System, which seemingly makes orcs much more talkative. The trailer itself showed off Talion recruiting a new class of heavy Orc called a Warmonger Tank. These vicious engines of destruction will be handy when leading a charge against the Forts in the game. These new forts are meant to act as the purpose for Talion building his new army. The sprawling complexes will need to be assaulted with a powerful set of allies at your back if you plan to topple them.
Not only did Middle-Earth: Shadow of War get a great gameplay trailer at E3 2017, it’s first DLC pack has also been announced. The first DLC expansion for Middle-earth: Shadow of War is Blade of Galadriel, which allows players to take up the role a Galadriel herself, an assassin that’s introduced during the course of the story.
The DLC will include new enemy types and locales for the player to fight their way through. The second game in the franchise is building upon the groundwork of the first game. An increased scope and scale in terms of level design will set the stage for much more large-scale against the forces of Sauron this time around. Celebrimbor and Talion will need all the allies they can get if they’re to succeed this time.
Ashen
Ashen is a sleeper in terms of coverage from Microsoft. The trailer was presented without comment, but it’s worth a mention nonetheless. The gameplay for Ashen shows a post-apocalyptic world where players, possibly in co-op, will be tasked with fighting off hordes of zombie-like creatures. Not much more than speculation right now, but if you want more Ashen check back here later.
