E3: A Breakdown of the Microsoft Press Conference

One of the most anticipated conferences has come and gone and Microsoft left us with some big name releases and exciting reveals. Here’s a breakdown of the impressive conference, chalked full of 42 new titles, over half are console exclusive to Xbox One, and the aptly named console upgrade, Xbox One X.

Xbox One X (Project ‘Scorpio’) – The new powerful console upgrade makes its worldwide debut revealing its official name, Xbox One X. With enhanced graphics and quicker loading times for 4k viewers, 1080p owners will see improved graphics as well. Clocking in as the most powerful console ever made, as well as the smallest Xbox console, you can get your hands on the Xbox One X on November 7th for a whopping $499.

Anthem – Previously codenamed ‘Project Dylan’, this enormous online open world shooter makes its debut after five years of development. Controlling the skies in customizable with jet packs mounted on exo-suits called “Javelins”, embark on journeys outside of the safety of the border walls and team up with friends to conquer the vast, dangerous lands. Unique Javelin upgrades giving different approaches to combat, extensive wildlife and fierce ‘Shaper Storms’ causing chaos in the jungles, look for Anthem to hit shelves in 2018.

Sea of Thieves – This online pirate adventurer has been on Xbox’s radar for exclusivity for a while. Take to the seas, dive in and search for sunken treasure with your online allies. Keep away from sharks while you explore old shipwrecks for treasured loot. Reach shore on various islands, plunder your way through skeleton enemies while you explore jungles, coves, scenic vistas and cavernous areas with gorgeous 4k graphics. Strong weather shifts in and an enemy ship begins cannon fire. Choose to fire back for a classic ship battle in the midst of a raging storm, or load yourself into a cannon and fire your way to opposing ships. Check out Sea of Thieves gameplay footage here.

Original Xbox Compatibility – With the wild success of the Xbox 360 compatibility feature on Xbox Live, the long-awaited arrival of original Xbox games has finally been officially announced for the Xbox One consoles. With updated graphics, these old gems will play and feel better than ever before. Including classics like Crimson Skies, the Xbox library will start to fill later this year.

Middle-Earth: Shadow of War – The next installment in the Middle-Earth series, Shadow of War, made a strong statement on the Microsoft floor during E3. Showcasing the new ability to recruit powerful allies and forge a fierce army of followers, this lively open world experience looks to raise the bar on the popular series debut title, Shadow of Mordor. Check the gameplay footage from E3  here.

Microsoft needed to come out swinging if they had a chance of taking the reigns on the competitive ‘console war’. Come out swinging they did with tons of impressive games like Metro Exodus, Assassins Creed Origins (more on this after the Ubisoft Conference) and the new 2D tag-teamer, Dragon Ball Fighter Z. Games like the new popular online PC title, Player Unknown’s Battlegrounds and State of Decay 2 bring different survival approaches to the MMO genre.

Forza Motorsports 7 made a splendid appearance, showing off their companionship with Porshce, ultimately making a worldwide unveiling of the brand new, absolutely gorgeous 2018 Porsche 911 GT2 RS. Minecraft made a surprising appearance with their new “Universal” online play, finally taking a step into the cross-console online experience.

Exclusives like Black Desert, Super Lucky’s Tale, Ori and the Will of the Wisps and the dark, cavernous adventurer Ashen all bring new life to the Microsoft Xbox franchise. Keep checking back for more updates throughout E3, 2017. Catch the entire Microsoft conference here.