Well, the Microsoft conference has come and gone. There were surprises, some welcome announcements, Keanu Reeves and a line that will forever be immortalised on the internet. So let’s get into it!
The Outer Worlds
The event started with an exciting trailer for Obsidian Entertainment’s The Outerworlds; a hybrid between what looks like Fallout and Borderlands but in space. The former Fallout: New Vegas devs seem to be catering to fans of the beloved Fallout series by delivering crazy antics and choices. It looks like it’ll be quite a ride. Especially, given there is a gun that shrinks enemies. Can we squish them? I hope so!
Ninja Theory’s Bleeding Edge
Although it leaked before the conference, it’s still surprising that Ninja Theory, a company that prides itself over fluid melee combat and excellent story-driven games, is making a class-based 4v4 brawler. It’s a sharp left turn from what they normally do and it’ll be interesting to see how it pans out. The art style and the colourful characters are interesting. A technical alpha starts on 27 June, so hopefully, we can see more gameplay soon.
Ori and the Will of The Wisps
A follow-up to Ori and The Blind Forest, Ori and The Will of The Wisps boasts a stunning art style with some clever platformer action. The fans of the first game probably shrieked when they saw this trailer and it just goes to show that Xbox really has a niche fanbase with these smaller indie games.
Minecraft Dungeons
As soon as the trailer started, it looked like something Minecraft-inspired and within the next few seconds, it was clear that it was actually Minecraft but not as we know it. What if Minecraft and any action RPG game had a baby? Well, this is that baby. It has a class system and it has loot along with co-op. This really caught everyone off guard and it’s just another step in the Minecraft saga, which is always welcome.
Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order
Although already showcased at the EA Play event, Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order seems to be the Star Wars game most fans have been waiting for. A story-driven action game akin to the fantastic Star Wars: The Force Unleashed games of yesteryear. It looks good, sounds good and most importantly, looks like fan service to those who love the franchise. Also, the little droid is cute. It’s really cute.
Blair Witch
Funny story actually, I was watching the conference with my best friend who normally sits in a party chat with me. What we share in our enthusiasm for games, we sadly don’t share for my enthusiasm for horrors. As soon as this trailer started, I heard him mumble, “Nah-ah.”
The trailer was creepy from the get-go with a shaky camera and dark environments coupled with some creepy sounds. At first, I thought it was an Outlast game until the trailer started reaching its climax and I realised I was sorely mistaken. While I was yelling, “YES!”, my scared little friend was yelling, “YOU’RE CRAZY!” Blair Witch has gone down in history for being one of the most convincing and scariest horrors ever made. It has a huge cult following and I think nobody expected a revival in video game form.
Keanu F@#$*&% Reeves!
“You’re breathtaking!”
“You’re breathtaking, You’re all breathtaking!”
By now the entire internet knows the meaning behind that beautiful moment. It was during the time that the much-anticipated Cyberpunk 2077 had the floor. Right at the end of an action-packed cinematic trailer, a surprisingly familiar face appeared on screen: Keanu Reeves is in Cyberpunk! And to top it off, as soon as the trailer ended the doors opened on stage and there he stood, the man himself and with him he brought the release date for the game: 16 April 2020. Mark the date.
A Ton Of Indie Games
Xbox’s ID@Xbox program gives so many up and coming developers a chance to show their games to the world. Xbox has a strong passion for indie games and there were a lot of interesting previews.
Flight Simulator
Many never expected to see another Flight Simulator game, so the reveal came as a surprise. It looks like a reboot and boasts incredible graphics. It was a nice change of pace from the rest of the games shown.
Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition
With a graphics overhaul, 4K support and an audio overhaul, the beloved Age of Empires II is coming back swinging. Not only does it look good but for many, it hits the nostalgia spot just right.
Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga
A surprise of Death Star proportions, we’re getting another Lego Star Wars game! Collecting all nine of the Skywalker movies and that’s all we know. The trailer had that classic Lego Star Wars charm though, which was nice.
Gears 5
Starting with a very unusual story trailer featuring Billie Eilish’s Bury a Friend, the Gears of War segment was very well done with pyromaniacs and the reveal of a new PvE mode called Escape, which offers a fast-paced run and gun horde mode. Oh, and a 10 September release date.
Dying Light 2
It would have been nice to see more meat than just a story trailer that sets up the world but at least we got some Dying Light content. Albeit a single trailer. It was something at least.
Forza Horizon 4: Lego Speedway
Okay, who would have thought Lego and Forza would create a union? Well, they did and it looks like everything is awesome! The trailer is sheer chaos and it blew my mind.
Well that’s it! What was your favourite part of Microsoft’s E3 2019 Conference?
