E3 2015: Nine of the best goodies from Microsoft and Xbox

Microsoft hosted its E3 keynote Monday, and boy did it deliver! No more pushing Kinect or Xbox apps, this was gaming pure and simple. So here’s our roundup of some of their key announcements.

A big beef gamers have with consoles (and also a stalwart argument  against them in the console vs PC standoff) has been the lack of backward compatibility. Microsoft is backing up on that now, and has said they will make Xbox 360 games playable on the Xbox One later this year; developers just have to approve the their titles for them to show up on the Xbox One. Microsoft are tweaking a batch of 100 last gen titles to be playable on the latest console, and gamers will (thankfully) not have to pay for titles they already own. You’ll also be able to play your old games in multiplayer on the Xbox One with friends that own the 360. Titles on the list of the first 100 include Mass Effect, Banjo Kazooie, Super Meat Boy, and Perfect Dark, among others.

Get ready to play your #Xbox360 games on #XboxOne. #XboxE3 pic.twitter.com/emuzzpbOMa

— Xbox (@Xbox) June 15, 2015

There’s a also a new “Elite” Xbox controller, a customisable gamepad that works on Windows 10 as well. Clearly a competitor to Valve’s Steam Controller, the Elite has remappable controls, a D-pad that can be swapped out, and four interchangeable stainless steel rear paddles. Users can also customise thumbstick sensitivity and toggle hair trigger locks on the top buttons, through a standalone app for Windows 10 and Xbox One. Settings are saved on the cloud, and you can even save two profiles on the gamepad itself. All this in the Xbox One Elite Wireless Controller for the “modest” price of US $149.99, available in October.


Next up is an all new title from Mega Man developer Keiji Inafune, and the makers of Metroid Prime. We know very little about ReCore as it stands, but the trailer seems to suggest it’s an adventure title where you befriend, and fight, lots and lots of robots. Obviously we can’t say a lot about it’s quality or gameplay but, if the trailer is anything to go by, it should be quite a riveting tale of friendship and loss. Look for it in spring of 2016.


Forza Motorsport 6 is set to release September 15, and the visuals are stunning. Unfortunately, that’s been the game’s USP from day one, with not much else building on sequential titles. Forza 6 will have six destinations, over 450 cars, and support for 24-car multiplayer, as well as the all new dynamic weather feature.


A new feature Microsoft announced was Game Preview, a way for Xbox One users to buy and play titles still in development, giving them early access and also making them beta testers for the game. This is similar to Steam’s Early Access program, which has worked wonders for PC titles over the years.

The rebooted Lara Croft is back again with Rise of the Tomb Raider. Initially announced in 2014, the title will first come to Xbox One and 360 before crossing over to the PS 4. In the new style that Tomb Raider set precedent for last year this game will focus less on Lara Croft being a gun-toting badass, and more on the still-a-girl adventurer trying survive while battling seemingly insurmountable odds. If the previous game is still the template, expect great background scores, detailed visuals, and gripping storyline that actually has you connect with the character and feel Lara’s fear and joy alike.


Gears of War is also making a comeback next year, with the unofficially titled Gears 4 due to release in 2016. Big soldiers, big chainswas, big guns, and even bigger enemies. Oh yeah, and lots of blood. Need I say more?


Microsoft gave us our first good look at Halo 5: Guardians, due out in October, and the graphics look amazing. One of the trailers at the event showcased a squad of four players in co-op mode blasting through the campaign.


There’s also a great deal of focus on multiplayer, with the all new Warzone mode pitting players against AI, and each other, attempting to take lives with a variety of weapons and vehicles at their disposal. Check out IGN’s gameplay footage, to get a feel of how it all plays out.


And finally, the game that had the audience cheering…...Minecraft. Yep, but not Minecraft as you know it. You see, since Microsoft purchased rights to the title from Mojang, they’ve been busy little bees. The company has been working on a version of the game built for their custom AR hardware, HoloLens. You can play Minecraft on standard tablets or PCs or, use the HoloLens to broadcast your play screen onto a wall. Better yet, generate the Minecraft world on your coffee table. Besides a controller, you can use gestures and voice commands to control the game too. Check out the video, it’s pretty bonkers.