Absent since the first game, Turn 10 is bringing back the Drivatar for Forza 5. Now syncing up with the cloud, you will be able to play against your friends based on how they race even when they’re not online.
The Drivatar was a feature in the first Forza Motorsport and allowed players to create a digital profile of how they race in-game. This allowed players to race against themselves (in a way) and allowed them to simulate races based on how they would (theoretically) perform on a track. With Xbox One’s increased power (a substantial leap over the original Xbox) and the cloud, the simulation will be able to be more realistic and precise. It’s exciting to see the return of this feature and how it will expand the possibilities of what can be done in gaming.
We’ve been waiting for it for years now, and Microsoft has heard our cries. Killer Instinct is coming back and it will be exclusive on Xbox One. The reveal wasn’t the most robust thing on the stage, but it’s incredibly exciting.
Announced back in the day as Codename: Kingdoms, then re-revealed as a Kinect game, Ryse comes back as an Xbox One exclusive titled Ryse: Son of Rome and will be available at launch. The demo they showed appeared to be entirely rendered in-engine in real time and it looks absolutely gorgeous.
Announced at last year’s E3 as an XBLA title, Twisted Pixel has now revealed that their upcoming LocoCycle is coming to Xbox One as a launch title on the system’s new game marketplace. They’ve stated that the game is still (for now) in development for Xbox 360, though the release date has been pushed to a “further date.” I’m almost certain we’ll hear more about this at this year’s E3.
Just days before E3, the first title from Respawn Entertainment has been outed by the leaked GameInformer cover. Titled Titanfall, the game is supposedly coming only to Xbox One, Xbox 360, and PC. There were rumors floating around that the game would be an Xbox console exclusive, and those appear to be true. The game will be multiplayer-focused with the Xbox One version heavily utilizing the power of the cloud (one of the things Microsoft was touting for its next-gen console); the Xbox 360 version is being outsourced to a different studio. I’m sure we’ll learn more about this game in just a few days when E3 is upon us.
Remedy Entertainment posted the official box art for their upcoming Xbox One exclusive Quantum Break. The game will be an innovative new IP that blends gaming and television with the television show in the works supposedly being tailored to the way gamers play the game.
A leak on the Korean Ratings Board has suggested that Halo Bootcamp is in the works. Microsoft followed up this leak confirming the project’s existence. They’ve stated that Bootcamp is not related to the the Xbox One or the Reclaimer Trilogy (which began with Halo 4). The description states that Bootcamp is a third-person shooter set within the Haloverse with a specific mention of Halo 3 and PC/online gaming. It’s likely that we will hear more on Bootcamp at E3 in just two weeks.
A little slow on the posting of some of these Xbox One reveal trailers, but I’m a busy guy. Anyway, this is definitely worth watching in HD–the particle effects and lighting in this game are incredible. Microsoft has confirmed that this (and the Quantum Break trailer) are running on Xbox One dev kits; so, this is in-game footage. It’s gorgeous. Forza Motorsport 5 is an Xbox One launch title, so it will be available later this year.
It’s been a while since we gamers have seen anything worthwhile from Rare. While fans of the developer can protest that they haven’t released anything good since Microsoft acquired the studio, I would have to respectfully disagree. Their Viva Pinata games were charming yet deep sims that were easily accessible and family friendly but required a great deal of patience and dedication to master. Nuts & Bolts may not have been a traditional Banjo-Kazooie game, but it was still a welcome addition to the Xbox library. However, the developer has been busy working on games for Kinect and the Avatar marketplace over the past several years and gamers have pretty much written off the studio.
However, Microsoft is promising great things from Rare at this years E3 with a return of a classic IP. Many are speculating that we will see a return of Killer Instinct for Xbox One since Microsoft renewed the trademark and fighters are returning to prominence in the gaming industry. Whether or not it is KI3 is still speculation, but Rare has several properties I’m sure many of us would like to see make a comeback.
When I saw Remedy Entertainment take the stage at Microsoft’s Xbox reveal, I was hoping to hear that they were going to announce the highly anticipated sequel to 2010’s Alan Wake. While it was initially disappointing to see that what they have in the works is not Alan Wake 2, it’s exciting to see that they’re pushing a new IP for this new console.
Given that many, myself included, were expecting an Alan Wake reveal, Sam Lake, creative director at Remedy and creator of Alan Wake, prepared a message to us, the fans, to accompany the Alan Wake Humble Bundle. The video explains what exactly is going on and why we won’t be seeing Alan Wake again just yet. It’s an insightful video and a nice gesture from the studio.
The success of Alan Wake wasn’t immediate and, as such, it was difficult for things to fall into place for the much desired sequel. Fans and Remedy both want to continue Alan’s journey, but “the time wasn’t right.” Given that Remedy and Microsoft were willing to partner in this new venture and Remedy’s dedication to the Alan Wake IP, I think it’s safe to assume that Alan will be back sometime in the future after a Quantum Break.
As a fan of Remedy Entertainment, I’m glad to see that they’re willing to take a risk with something new even if it means waiting to see how Alan Wake’s story pans out.
For those of you who have yet to experience Alan’s journey into darkness, Remedy has discounted the Alan Wake games on Xbox Live and has provided a Humble Weekly Bundle. I encourage you to invest in these experiences and support Remedy and the talented folks who have worked hard on these games.
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