Xbox One Games We Want to See at E3 2016

While many of the rumors around Microsoft for this E3 revolve around new hardware, Microsoft is also going to talk about games during its briefing. We’ve now collected some of the titles we’re excited to see. Click “Next Image” to get started.

Scalebound

From the mind of veteran developer Hideki Kamiya–who has repeated touted the title as his dream game–Scalebound is basically Pete’s Dragon but with a lot more violence and sassy quips. The game follows Drew and his dragon Thuban as they battle their way across a lush fantasy world.

Players will be able to issue commands to their dragon in combat, as well as upgrade its abilities and customize its looks. Up to four players can team up online in cooperative multiplayer as well, and we’re excited to see what Scalebound’s battles look like with four massive dragons in the fray. Recently Scalebound was delayed from this year into 2017, so we’re hoping to see more of it in some form at E3. –Alexa Ray Corriea

Halo Wars 2

It came as a surprise when Microsoft announced Halo Wars 2 at Gamescom last year. The first installment was a pretty good attempt at making a real-time strategy game for consoles, but it had some problems and did not sell spectacularly well.

But Creative Assembly, known for the Total War series, is developing Halo Wars 2, which makes the sequel exciting due to the studio’s track record with RTS games. It’ll be interesting to see if Halo Wars 2 will include the sort of massive-scale battles that the Total War games are known for, or if Creative Assembly chooses to keep the combat more in line with the original. Either way, we are looking forward to hopefully getting a first look at the game at E3.

Inside

2010’s Limbo was one of the most striking games in recent memory. It was dark and challenging in a way I’d never experienced before. We still don’t know much about Inside, but hopefully that will change at E3. Developer Playdead has talked about how the game will try to capture the same dark charm of Limbo, but extend to new areas with further use of 3D elements. Designer Dino Patti has also described the game as “more weird,” and we’re excited to learn more about what that means.

Dead Rising 4

Dead Rising 4 has not been announced, but a report this week claimed Capcom was planning the game and could announce it at E3 during Microsoft’s briefing. Some posters that claimed to be for the game suggested it would follow Frank West in a snowy setting that could be Willamette, Colorado.

That’s the location of the first game, which suggests Dead Rising 4 could be connected to the original, which is an exciting thing to think about. It’s been suggested that Dead Rising 4 could come to Xbox One and PC as part of Microsoft’s Project Helix, which further unites Xbox and PC.

Gears of War 4

Microsoft released the Gears of War Ultimate Edition in 2015, but Gears of War 4 will be the first new mainline entry in the shooter series from the company following its acquisition of the franchise in 2014. And expectations are high. It tells a new story that follows Marcus Fenix’s song, JD, along with two other newcomers.

The campaign supports two-player co-op locally and online, while the multiplayer (a beta test was held in May) lets players go head-to-head–or chainsaw-to-chainsaw. Fans may be happy to learn, too, that Rod Fergusson, who worked on the series at Epic before joining Microsoft, is leading development on the game.

Untitled Forza Game

Unfortunately, we don’t know a great deal about the next installment of Microsoft’s seminal racing franchise beyond that fact that it will definitely be at E3. However, Microsoft did share an enticing teaser trailer back in March that showed off a few sexy shots of the not-yet-commercially-available Lamborghini Centenario.

The publisher has also boasted this new Forza will contain the largest selection of cars of any racing game this console generation, but we won’t find out the full size of the roster until Microsoft’s E3 presser. Until then, why not check out the upcoming free-to-play Forza 6 Apex?

Crackdown 3

Microsoft’s Crackdown 3 could be a show-stealer at E3 next week. From what (little) we’ve seen so far, the destruction elements look mighty impressive. Past games of course had destruction elements, but this time around, thanks to the game’s use of cloud computing, it looks you’ll be able to crush the world on a new level. It’s too soon to know for sure if Crackdown 3 will overcome the shortcomings of its predecessor, but we’re excited to see and learn more next week.

Tacoma

The Fullbright Company’s Gone Home was something of a revelation. Though by no means the world’s first story-driven exploration game, its particular approach to ambient, player-directed storytelling inspired a wave of so-called “walking simulators” that breathed fresh new life into the entire adventure game genre. As you might remember, we’re big fans, so you can understand why we’re particularly excited about studio’s first game since Gone Home released in 2013: Tacoma.

Where Gone Home spun an intimate, heartbreaking coming of age tale, Tacoma applies the same walking sim formula to a sci-fi tinged mystery set in an abandoned space station. The game’s release was pushed to early 2017 to allow more time for development, but we still expect to see an early version at E3.

Below

In retro-inspired Roguelike RPG Below, death is just part of the process. If you don’t keep a supply of fresh water, you’ll dehydrate; if you don’t scavenge for food, you’ll starve; if you don’t build a campfire, you won’t be able to heal. And on top of all that, the various dank, dark dungeons you’ll explore for loot will be crawling with enemies.

So you will die, and when you do, you’ll start again, right back at the beginning, as a new character. But you’ll be armed with added knowledge and maybe even a persistent item or two as you dive back into the deep. After several serious delays, Below is finally set to release later this year. Lets hope this E3 provides our last look at the game before launch.

Sea of Thieves

Rare’s latest games haven’t exactly been as memorable as the developer’s earlier, marquee titles. And while it’s too soon to say Sea of Thieves might restore Rare to its former glory, the premise has certainly caught our attention. It’s a pirate-themed game for Xbox One and PC that will make use of user-generated content (mods?) so players can tell their own stories. There are still many unanswered questions about Sea of Thieves, and we hope we get answers next week at E3.