News | July 30, 2016 2:58 am

By Meta

Microsoft didn't have the strongest showing at this past E3, but there are some interesting games on the way for Xbox One. The following was gleaned from Game Informer's "E3 Hot 50" article:

Dishonored 2 - This is a direct sequel to the 1-player action game. It will let you choose to play as original hero Corvo or the Empress Emily Kaldwin, and aims to increase choices for players to play stealthily and/or without supernatural powers, in addition to the violent direct combat. There will also be more lore and secrets for players that explore. Set to release November 11, 2016.

South Park: The Fractured But Whole - This sequel to The Stick of Truth is developed by a different studio and focuses on parodying superhero comics & movies while offering more in-depth combat and character customization options. Set to release December 6, 2016.

Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare - Developed by Infinity Ward (whose last CoD game, Ghosts, was not so great), this game jumps from "modern warfare" to science fiction-style action, and offers space dog fighting and ship-to-ship combat in addition to the usual grounded shooting. Little has been said about the multiplayer. Set to release November 4, 2016.

Battlefield 1 - Going back to World War 1, this Battlefield is adding some interesting new multiplayer modes including one that has teams alternating attack and defense, with the winners advancing to a new map along the same front. Huge, multi-man vehicles like zeppelins and battleships will spawn for losing teams for last-ditch efforts. There is also additional focus on the campaign which is usually the weakest element by far in these games. There is a multiplayer beta currently running. The game is set to release October 21, 2016.

Dead Rising 4 - Another open-world zombie action game with light RPG elements, this game will again have Frank West as protagonist. New features include special vehicles like a powered exosuit, more enemy types, and refined controls that let you use both melee & ranged weapons without accessing the inventory to switch. Up to 4-player cooperative is planned. Set to release December 6, 2016.

Titanfall 2 - Titanfall finally gets a campaign, courtesy of the same guys that made the single-player content for COD Modern Warfare which actually had a decent narrative. The game will have up to 16 players online, with 6 types of Titans, increased customization options and "tightened" maps. Players will also have new tools to use while on the ground, including grappling hooks. The MP is also set to have a "deeper progression system" and some new feature that replaces burn cards. Set to release October 28, 2016.

Gears of War 4 - The recent multiplayer beta exhibited gameplay that was improved over Gears Ultimate Edition, so hopefully this increase in quality carries over to the 1-or-2-player campaign. The tone seems to have shifted from over-the-top popcorn action to more intimate, tense settings with a touch of horror. The online MP will have 5v5 modes. Set to release October 11, 2016.

Watch Dogs 2 - This sequel has a larger and more detailed open-world, with an expanded set of activities. There are also more customization options, new mechanical gadgets to use and much greater hacking powers. Will also offer 2 player cooperative & competitive online, with optional seamless integration in to the single-player campaign. These improvements in 2 are almost equivalent with what was originally promised for the first game, so we'll see if Ubisoft can deliver this time. Set to release November 15, 2016.

Injustice 2 - Hooray, another superhero fighting game from NetherRealm Studios (the Mortal Kombat guys)! Too bad it's DC, not Marvel... anyway, this game picks up where Gods Among Us left off and offers a meaty story mode for when you don't want to beat up another person. The roster is set to be bigger, with 28 fighters at launch including newcomers Supergirl, Atrocitus and Gorilla Grodd, and will likely have more DLC to follow. New features include a randomized loot system to customize characters and alter stats in single player mode, improved Supers and more environment interactions and level transitions. Studio Lead Ed Boon has also said he is hoping to get in content directly from the newer DC movies like Dawn of Justice and the upcoming Justice League movie. Set to release Q1, 2017.

Ghost Recon: Wildlands - Tired of sequels yet? Hope not! Wildlands increases the scope of Ghost Recon, offering huge maps that are almost open-world in terms of offering many choices and differing opportunities to wage war. The campaign offers up to 4 player cooperative play, but is oddly lacking features like a cover system, and seems to involve more leg work and guerilla tactics when fighting cartel goons rather than the ubiquitous drones & vehicles of past games. Nothing concrete has been said about the multiplayer. Set to release March 7, 2017.

We Happy Few - This is a strange game that is primarily adventure-style but mixes in elements of action-combat and stealth. You play as multiple characters in an odd alternate 1960's where horrors & regrets of the past have caused society to stay hopped up on a drug called Joy to get by. You will need to survive by scavenging resources, crafting tools, sometimes popping pills to successfully blend in, and occasionally fighting your way out of trouble, learning the characters' histories as you go. The visuals remind me a lot of BioShock Infinite. You can try this game for free now via the XB1's Game Preview Program. The final release is set for Q1, 2017.

Final Fantasy XV - A lot of folks were put off by FF13's "20 hour tutorial" and the online-only nature of FF14, so hopefully this entry will offer more of what fans actually want. It stars a group of 4 dudes caught in the beginning of a huge conflict, with the main protagonist Noctis being the son of the nation's leader. The combat is almost real-time and offers free movement, and the gameplay itself is mostly open-world after a promised brief tutorial. The game has already had 2 playable demos, Episode Duscae and the Platinum demo (which you can still download and try for yourself), and if they are any indication then this game's combat feels good, even if decidedly un-Final Fantasy-like. The playable demo at E3 featured a cinematic fight with a huge boss that is actually one of the summons you will get; apparently, all the game's summons will require a big, unique fight to attain. Set to release September 30, 2016.

For Honor - Combat is the name of this game that pits knights against vikings against samurai. There is a campaign that features all 3 factions, but 8-player online is the heart of the action. Combat itself is weighty and has a lot of depth, featuring pronounced differences between weapons & armours and requiring consideration for maneuvering & stamina. The narrative has been suggested as a grim combo of Game of Thrones and Vikings. Set to release February 14, 2017.

Tacoma - This is a first-person adventure game with a sci-fi setting, from the people that did Gone Home. It is styled as a mystery, and has some very nice, interesting visuals. Gone Home was a huge success despite the overall lack of action or play mechanics, so we'll see if this game can draw folks in the same way. Set to release Q2, 2017.

The Surge - This is a 1-player action game from the studio that made Lords of the Fallen. Like that game, this features heavy, intense combat and out-of-the-way narrative, but this time the setting is sci-fi in the far future. Players are offered many options in the progression system, which includes ripping components off of enemies to use in combination with your own abilities & gadgets. Other previous game staples like dangerous environments and a tough-but-fair difficulty system are highlights. Set to release Q2, 2017.

Deus Ex: Mankind Divided - Set shortly after Human Revolution, this game has Adam Jensen working with an anti-terrorism group to find out the truth behind a world-changing incident that caused people with mechanical augmentations to go berserk. In addition to the requisite depthy story and emphasis on player choice, this game also promises improved combat controls and more ways to approach combat and other scenarios, facilitating direct fighting, stealth, and even diplomatic solutions. The hacking minigame has also been improved. Set to release August 23, 2016.

Batman: A Telltale Series - A Batman adventure game? Who asked for this? It seems strange to me that a studio & game engine not known for good combat or true player choice would want to tackle Batman, but then again their last few games were pretty great so this has potential. Folks at E3 got to see half an hour of the first episode, and while frequent quicktime events were a complaint, it is interesting that players will likely spend as much time as Bruce Wayne as they will Batman. Supposedly, player choice will determine criminal allegiances. If I can actually choose to be the tired, jaded version of Batman that beats enemies to pulp rather than the diplomatic, stoic one, then this may hold my interest. No release date is set yet.

Gwent: The Witcher Card Game - Played Witcher 3? Loved the Gwent mini-game? Apparently a lot of folks did, and as they requested, CD Projekt Red expanded the concept and made a full game out of it. I haven't played it myself, but apparently it is similar to MtG or Hearthstone but more intuitive. The game has multiple 10-hour offline campaigns which actually have full stories in addition to teaching players how to use the included decks online against each other. Geralt and the world of the Witcher are some of the best things in modern gaming, and CD Projekt Red has an excellent history of supporting their releases with high-quality free and paid DLC, so I hope this game is similarly great and successful. Set to release Q1, 2017.

Forza Horizon 3 - This is the first open-world Forza fully built from the ground-up to take advantage of the XB1's power. Besides a large map and huge roster of cars (350 so far) this game also adds some new features, the biggest of which is letting players build festival sites and choose their own events, using a ton of options and variables. You can even import your own music from your OneDrive. Up to 4 players can race together or compete through the entire campaign as well as in each others' custom events and festivals. The Drivatar feature has been upgraded to a pack system where you can share progress and rewards with 3 friends. Set to release September 27, 2016.

Mafia III - This single-player game isn't a direct sequel to 2 but rather focuses on a new protagonist, Lincoln Clay, and is set just after he returns from the Vietnam War. Like the last game, this will have shooting, driving, and exploring, and hopefully can deliver the same great characters and mature storytelling. The open-world elements have been expanded, and the studio says the combat & driving are improved. My biggest question is if the collectibles will be pictures of naked ladies again. Set to release October 7, 2016.

Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night - This game is the result of a mega-successful Kickstarter campaign by Koji Igarashi, the man behind the awesome Castlevania: Symphony of the Night. Like that game, this features 1-player action with light RPG elements and a heavy emphasis on exploration. The E3 demo apparently left people happy, with them saying that gameplay hews very close to CV:SOTN in a good way. I am very interested in this and will report more on it later. Set to release sometime in March, 2017.

Battle Chasers: Nightwar - Here's another Kickstarter success story. This is a new game based on an unfinished 90's comic series. The gameplay mixes exploration with turn-based RPG combat, and the art style comes from creator Joe Madureira who was also responsible for Darksiders. The characters are interesting and the combat looks really fun, but I have no idea what the story will be like. I'm looking forward to this because the XB1 needs more turn-based RPGs! Set to release Q2, 2017.

Thimbleweed Park - This is a 1-player adventure game that harkens back to the golden age of the genre, especially Maniac Mansion and Day of the Tentacle, due to its unusual characters, pixelized artwork and mix of grim tone & absurd humour. The developer, Terrible Toybox, even employs two of the adventure game godfathers, Ron Gilbert and Gary Winnick. Folks who played the E3 demo said the dialogue and characters gave them a Twin Peaks vibe. The puzzles are made to be logical rather than the nonsensical sort often present in 90's adventure games, so that should make this feel fresh. Set to release sometime in January, 2017.

Tekken 7 - XB1 owners will finally have something to use their fightsticks on that isn't KI or MK. This entry in the mainline series is set to finally finish the Mishima story line started in the original game, and has the best & smoothest visuals yet as it was made with Unreal Engine 4. In addition to Akuma from Street Fighter, 3 new original characters have been revealed alongside the mostly returning cast. Hopefully, they will all be unique like the main roster and not the slight variants as in the Tag Tournament games. The story mode will include seamless transitions to- and from cutscenes as demonstrated in the E3 demo fight between Akuma and Heihachi. The netcode is also said to be vastly improved over Tekken 6's. Set to release Q1, 2017.

Resident Evil 7: Beginning Hour - Unlike the globe-spanning, 4-player coop, epic set piece action of RE6, this game is a single-player affair set in a smaller, more intimate environment and trying really hard for a horror vibe. I watched people playing this on Twitch, and the visuals were really good, as was the overall atmosphere, but the actual gameplay involved examining a lot of pointless environment objects and then running in to too many locked doors. This is an interesting tonal shift for Resident Evil, and the game director has said the game's mysteries and puzzle-solving will be the focus, although there will also be combat. While I liked exploring the world in previous games, it was actually the co-op combat in 5 and 6 that I enjoyed the most, so it will be interesting to see what this full game entails. Set to release January 24, 2017.

Half-life 3 - Gabe Newell Illuminati confirmed!! Set to release April 1, 2033.

Upcoming releases I don't care enough to write more about: FIFA 17, Madden NFL 17, Pro Evolution Soccer 17

What upcoming Xbox One games are you looking forward to?

Keywords: oontz, oontz, oontz, oontz, wub, wub, wubwubwub, WIKKY WIKKY, watch me nae nae