The big announcements from Microsoft’s Xbox E3 2018 press conference

MANILA, Philippines – Microsoft in the past years has struggled to compete with the likes of Sony and Nintendo when it comes to making a showing at E3. This year is different with the company officially revealing a number exclusive titles, including Halo: Infinite and Gears 5. 

Here’s a quick roundup of key announcements and some additional trailers shown off by Microsoft at its Xbox E3 conference on Monday, June 10 (June 11, Manila time). 

Halo Infinite

Halo Infinite kicked off the Microsoft conference with an in-engine trailer that shows the next chapter in Master Chief’s story.

“With Halo Infinite, we will join Master Chief on his greatest adventure yet to save humanity,” Phil Spencer said. The Xbox One and Windows PC exclusive is being developed by 343 industries and is powered by the new Slipspace Engine. 

Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice

From Software, the developers behind the Souls series and Bloodborne have partnered with publisher, Activision for their new game called Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice. (WATCH: 4 more fun game trailers from Microsoft’s E3 2018 press conference)

Fallout 76

"In Vault 76, your future… begins"

Fallout 76 revealed as a prequel set in West Virginia that is the "biggest one yet" – 4X Larger than Fallout 4! #GameReady #E32018 pic.twitter.com/F9VAYphHQG

— NVIDIA GeForce (@NVIDIAGeForce) June 10, 2018

 

Bethesda Game Studios director Todd Howard was present to show off a new trailer of Fallout 76, a prequel to the previously released games and the “biggest” one yet at reportedly 4 times the size of Fallout 4.

Crackdown 3

 

While Crackdown 3 suffered from a number of delays in past years, Microsoft said the game would be releasing in February 2019 with a new trailer that features Terry Crews wreaking havoc in a city. 

Kingdom Hearts 3

A new gameplay trailer for Kingdom Hearts 3 was shown off. It showcased the new highly-anticipated world of Frozen and more glimpses at the previously revealed world of Tangled featuring characters from both Disney films.

The game releases January 29, 2019. 

Tom Clancy’s The Division 2

 

The Division 2, the sequel to Ubisoft’s MMORPG-like shooter, takes the post-apocalyptic action to Washington, D.C. 

The game is set to launch next March.

Devil May Cry 5

 

The next main entry in the official franchise since Devil May Cry 4 in 2008, Devil May Cry 5 features Nero as the main playable character.

The trailer seemingly shows off the signature hack and slash gameplay fans of the series know and love. Devil May Cry 5 hits stores in Spring of 2019. 

New studios

Aside from revealing games, Phil Spencer announced that Microsoft has bought out 4 indie studios – namely Undead Labs, Playground Games, Compulsion Games, and Ninja Theory – to beef up its library of first-party games. 

Besides this, Microsoft also revealed that its setting up a new studio called The Initiative, headed by Darrell Gallagher, the former head of Crystal Dynamics, who worked on the Tomb Raider reboot. 

Tales of Vesperia Definitive Edition

While not an Xbox One exclusive, confirmation that a remastered version of Tales of Vesperia, dubbed Tales of Vesperia Definitive Edition, was officially revealed at Microsoft’s press conference. The game will reportedly come with additional content not seen in the west.

Tales of Vesperia Definitive Edition will launch on Xbox One, PS4, PC, and the Nintendo Switch in the Winter.

Dying Light 2

Dying Light 2, the sequel to the open-world zombie survival game of the same name, was officially announced with a new gameplay trailer.

It returns to the same familiar post-apocalyptic setting where player’s decisions now matter as they can carve out the world they roam in. 

Gears 5

Another Microsoft heavy-hitter, Gears of War 5 – Gears 5 as it is being called – brings players back to fighting Locusts. The trailer shows a much darker tone and atmosphere than previous games.

Meanwhile, it shows off a new arsenal of guns and melee weapons players can wield when they combat hordes of new aliens. Gears 5 releases exclusively to Xbox One and Windows PC in 2019.

Cyberpunk 2077

Finally, the long-awaited first look at CD Projekt Red’s Cyberpunk 2077 is here! While the trailer doesn’t show any actual gameplay, people are treated to a glimpse at the game’s futuristic dystopian setting filled with flying cars, robots, holograms, and some cool-looking characters. – with reports by Victor Barreiro Jr./Rappler.com