What you can expect this year, however, is for E3 to be an eventful one. Now, to be fair, that’s the kind of thing that’s said every year, but this year you really can expect some notable announcements and circumstances that may conspire to make this year’s show one of the biggest ones in a while. For starters, this is the first E3 show for this new generation, meaning that we are likely to get a lot of companies put their best foot forward in order to try and convince a swathe of would-be purchasers of next generation games and systems around the world to invest in their products. Secondly, as mentioned, this will be the first E3 in two years. And while the lack of E3 last year didn’t necessarily stop major announcements from happening (they just got spread out over the year), you can bet that for companies that are actually returning to E3 this year with all the pomp and festivity associated with it, there will be an effort to live up to the expectations that can come after an off-year.

As for the companies returning to E3 this year? Well, honestly, that’s most of them. PlayStation is going to be the lone major exception (presumably they will opt to do an independent show of their own timed for around then so they can still deliver news in synch with the rest of the industry), but other than that, everyone’s going to be there. Xbox and Nintendo are both planning on being there, as is Activision, Sega, Square Enix, Ubisoft, Capcom, Take Two (the parent company of 2K and Rockstar), Warner Bros., Namco, Epic… it’s basically a who’s who of the industry. EA is another major publisher conspicuously missing from that list, but they have at the very least confirmed their own all-digital EA Play event for late July, so we know they’ll have something to show soon.

So, a lot of companies will be at E3 this year, but most eyes will presumably be on Xbox and Nintendo. Being platform holders, their shows are going to be the biggest by definition, and Xbox, since they have just launched a brand new next generation system, that for all its significant merits, continues to consistently lag behind the competition around the world, has the most to prove. So you have to hope that they come out swinging and put on a hell of a show. As for what that show might be? Well, we have some ideas (or some hopes. Really, they’re often the same thing).

HALO INFINITE

This is the most obvious, safest prediction that can be made. Halo Infinite is obviously going to be there, and Microsoft has a lot to prove with this one. When Halo Infinite was originally announced, it looked absolutely fantastic. However, its gameplay reveal last year was met with disdain and a severe amount of backlash, in part due to how graphically middling it looked, causing the planned-to-be-launch game for the Xbox Series X to be delayed into this year. And while we have seen a lot of improvement in the state of the game since then, thanks to consistent and frequent updates made by 343 Industries, this is their chance to truly redeem the game’s image in the eyes of the broader public. All eyes will be on them this E3, and if they show off a Halo Infinite that looks decidedly next-gen in terms of graphics and gameplay alike, you can bet there will be a significant upswell in the hype and excitement surrounding Halo and Xbox in general. 343 and Microsoft both have a lot to prove – they have to show that Halo can still be the industry-leading prestige franchise it once was. They have to show that Xbox has major great games to look forward to. They have to show that they are capable of managing IP and brands successfully. And, after all, Halo and Xbox are inextricably linked, so rehabilitating the image of one can very well help the other. Halo Infinite looking great can help Xbox achieve all that in one fell swoop.

AN UPDATE ON SOME PREVIOUSLY ANNOUNCED EXCLUSIVES

Microsoft announced a lot of upcoming exclusives for the Xbox ecosystem last year – but we only got to see vague concept or CG trailers for them all. We have Avowed, we have State of Decay 3, we have Hellblade 2: Senua’s Saga, we have Perfect Dark… and we haven’t really seen anything meaningful for any of it. A lot of them look and sound exciting, to be fair – like Avowed looks incredible, and a new Skyrim style RPG set in the Pillars of Eternity world, by Obsidian (arguably among the most accomplished RPG developers around), is, an exciting proposition. And Hellblade 2 just looks epic, and given how fantastic the original was? We’d love to see more of it. Not to mention how great the prospect of a new Perfect Dark is in and of itself.

Hopefully, that’s what we get to see this E3. While Perfect Dark or State of Decay 3 may only get CG trailers at best, we’d love to get some real, honest-to-goodness hands-on gameplay glimpses at Hellblade 2 and Avowed. Presumably, Microsoft can spend some time showing off some updates to these upcoming exclusives, and start drumming up the hype for them. Heck, maybe some of them can start getting some release windows associated with them as well.

XBOX ON PC

Microsoft’s been making good on its commitment to PC with the Xbox ecosystem, and we expect to see more of this at E3 this year. While there is always a chance that some of this material goes over to the PC Gaming Show (if it happens this year), we wouldn’t be surprised to see more of Age of Empires 4 during the Xbox E3 show, nor to see some news about the long-rumoured plans for the updated PC client Microsoft is rumoured to have in the works, or even about Game Pass coming to Steam. As Microsoft’s support for PC gaming continues to get stronger, we expect to see more support for PC from them than ever.

THIRD PARTY GAMES

It’s an Xbox show, so obviously we’re going to see a whole lot of major third party games there too – particularly since PlayStation is sitting this year out, meaning a lot of games that may otherwise have been shown off at their show may get unveiled at the Xbox show this year. Some stuff is an easy given – we can expect to see Lost Judgment, Scarlet Nexus, Tales of Arise there, given Sega and Namco’s ongoing partnership with Xbox. Presumably some major upcoming projects from Ubisoft and Warner Bros. get shown off at the Xbox show as well – though it’s honestly hard to tell what they may be. If there’s going to be any Cyberpunk redemption trailer, it will probably be at E3 as well. One big upcoming title that’s likely to be at the Xbox show is Elden Ring. If it is going to be shown off at E3 at all, it will be at the Xbox show, in part because Microsoft always gets the marketing rights to From Software’s games, and also because, again, there’s no other show for that game to really go to. Depending on how forthcoming third parties are with sharing their upcoming projects, we will probably see some exciting fare from them at the Xbox show this year.

FORZA AND FABLE

Two long-running and fan-favorite Xbox franchises are set to return on the Xbox Series X. While a new Forza game is a matter of routine at this point (even if the series has missed some years we may have expected it to have new games out in), a new Forza coming to Xbox this year was hardly a surprise when it was announced last year. Assuming the plan is still to have it out this year, we will probably be seeing some gameplay footage of the new Forza game at the Xbox E3 show. Rumors mention it being a Forza Horizon game, set in Mexico – so presumably we get another Playground Games open world racing masterpiece later this year.

Fable, on the other hand, is a trickier proposition. While the return of Fable is incredibly hyped, and showing it off in any form at the E3 show will win Microsoft some easy hype points, the truth of the matter is that the game is, by their own admission, fairly far off – probably farther off than any other first party game we have gone over in this list so far. And also by Microsoft’s own admission, they don’t really want to show off games that are too far off until they can help it. So… it’s hard to see Fable making it? Then again, Microsoft had no issues breaking their rules with announcing all these games in the first place, after all, and like I said, it would be easy hype for them. I don’t dare hope – but I wouldn’t fault anyone who does, either.

BETHESDA

Microsoft bought Bethesda earlier this year, and while Bethesda will still have their own separate E3 show, it will be enjoined with Microsoft’s back to back, meaning the two effectively form one gigantic super-show. So whatever is shown off at the Bethesda show can effectively count as being shown off at the Xbox show. And while the hilarity of Deathloop and GhostWire: Tokyo both inevitably getting exhibited at an Xbox show while being PS5 exclusives will be amusing, there are probably other, more interesting things to look out for as well. For instance – will we get to see that Indiana Jones project that Bethesda announced earlier this year? Will we get to see a Wolfenstein 3? How about Arkane’s next big project? Maybe an update on The Elder Scrolls Online or *sigh* Fallout 76? There’s a lot from Bethesda we could expect to see – but what, exactly, remains to be seen.

STARFIELD

The big one, of course, is Starfield. Bethesda Game Studios’ upcoming project has been shrouded in secrecy, barring a few screenshot leaks, but the pitch is incredibly simple and potent – Skyrim, but in space. It’s been ages since we got a Bethesda style open world RPG – at least six years since the last traditional one, and I won’t blame anyone for thinking it’s been even longer since the last great one, because Fallout 4, while good, wasn’t up to par with Bethesda’s previous efforts.

Starfield is a chance for Bethesda to reclaim and redeem its glory. It’s a chance for them to launch a new IP after having relied on two RPG behemoths for over a decade. It’s a chance for them to finally deliver the kind of open world space epic that so many have tried to deliver, but always failed at. We know Starfield is close to release – we don’t know how close, but rumours peg it as being a late 2021-early 2022 release. If it is, we assume we get to see it at E3 this year. And if we do, I expect it to be among the most exciting things we see at the entire show – not just the Xbox show, just in general – this year as well.

I just hope it’s not a no-show.

Note: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, GamingBolt as an organization.

It’s a day for high-profile titles on Xbox Game Pass. After Square Enix’s Octopath Traveler, Sega’s Yakuza 6: The Song of Life is now available for Game Pass subscribers on PC and console. With this addition, the entire mainline Yakuza series is now available on Xbox One and PC. Steam users will see the game available today at 4 PM GMT/9 AM PST on the storefront.

Yakuza 6: The Song of Life sees Kazuma Kiryu out of prison (again), only to find that Haruka has gone missing. After finding her in a coma following a hit-and-run accident, Kiryu seeks to discover the truth while also caring for Haruka’s son Haruto. Though sporting familiar locations like Kamurocho, Yakuza 6: The Song of Life makes a number of changes to exploration and combat.

It also marks the debut of the series’ Dragon Engine, which would be used for Yakuza Kiwami 2, Yakuza: Like a Dragon and Judgment. Check out our review here to learn more about the title. Along with Xbox One and PC, Yakuza 6: The Song of Life is also available on PS4.

Yakuza 6: The Song of Life is now available on Xbox Game Pass and Windows 10!

The Steam version arrives Mar 25th at 4PM GMT/9 AM PST. pic.twitter.com/xRauzCFxWy

— RGG Studio (@RGGStudio) March 25, 2021

Those who have kept up with the game, however, would know that the pieces were coming together for this game to actually turn out well, since recent showings of the game have been far more encouraging. To those people, at least, it won’t come as a shock to learn that the new Battletoads is very good. Almost surprisingly so, in fact. While it has some critical shortcomings that I think do hold it back from realizing its full potential, the game is a thoroughly entertaining brawler that seems to deftly walk the line between accessibility and depth, manages to have a lot of incentives to encourage replays, and even comes together on other fronts, such as its surprisingly pleasing art style, and its sharp and witty writing.

That meta humor actually makes an incredibly strong first impression, and helps buoy the game a whole lot. Without getting into the specifics, all I will say is that the game is acutely aware of the passage of time between the last Battletoads game and this one, and the relevance (or total lack thereof) that the eponymous battletoads have in today’s day and age, and that it uses those things to drive a lot of its humor. Not all its jokes land, and some feel a bit juvenile and crude, or just fall flat, but on the whole, the humor and wit is definitely a point in the game’s favor.

"The game is acutely aware of the passage of time between the last Battletoads game and this one, and the relevance (or total lack thereof) that the eponymous battletoads have in today’s day and age."

Where the game is impressive without caveats is on the combat front. It’s deceptively easy, but it racks on layer upon layer of complexity subtly, slowly introducing the player to all sorts of mechanics and moves without overwhelming them. Between the combos you can execute with one character, the ability to tag team in and out of whatever character you want to play as at any time you want (this actually helps extend your combos further), and the extremely well differentiated enemy types, each of whom require totally different strategies to take down (seriously, there is more enemy variety in the first act of Battletoads than there is for many games, period), you are basically guaranteed extremely deep and varied, engaging brawler combat throughout the game.

There are other aspects of the gameplay that don’t necessarily always hold up as well, though. The hacking minigames, which involve you either routing electricity to gates blocking your progress to open them up, or disabling security, are extremely easy and uninteresting for example, but require just enough time and engagement on the player’s part to veer into being actively annoying – especially since they get in the way of the actual fun parts of the game. Other distractions from the combat, such as high octane biking, are much more fun. While they remain reasonably simplistic all said and done, they add enough wrinkles one on top of another to keep things unpredictable and exciting, at the bare minimum (at their best, they can be really thrilling on their own).

Battletoads is also a champion of local co-op, and up to three players can play together, brawling their way through the waves of enemies and bosses the game throws their way. The game excels in local co-op, and is incredibly fun with friends, especially with the chaos of three battletoads and a whole lot of enemies all unleashing their attacks at once. Co-op also helps keep some encounters in the game more manageable, though there is nothing in this game that you can’t get through as a solo player.

"There is more enemy variety in the first act of Battletoads than there is for many games, period."

That, by the way, is a good thing, because in a shocking omission for a brawler, and perhaps more still, a Microsoft game, Battletoads does not have online co-op. It has co-op, and it has online functionality, but it somehow does not have online co-op – which is a pretty major shortcoming for a brawler at the best of times, but can be a critical one in the present context. Like I said, the game remains really fun and engaging solo as well, but you are absolutely not getting the co-op experience short of having people sitting by your side in the same room as you.

I don’t understand how this decision was made, because it feels like such a basic and yet significant thing to overlook under any context – how is a brawler in today’s day and age released without online co-op? There is always the possibility that this problem is addressed post-launch, of course, but given the game was already delayed, it feels a bit perplexing that it didn’t launch with this functionality to begin with.

While the lack of the online functionality is definitely a significant mark against the game, however, like I said, it does not take away from how fun and surprisingly engaging Battletoads is in any other context. Local co-op is, of course, ideal, but even if you are playing it by yourself, this is definitely a game that holds your attention, while also being ideally suited to simply picking it up and dropping out of it whenever you want without necessarily needing long play sessions you need to invest into it.

"Battletoads may not be as convincing as it could have been, but the new game definitely demonstrates the IP still has a place in today’s market, and delivers a really fun experience that stands on its own merits as well."

The missing online co-op is especially a shame in that context, because other than that, whatever caveats and shortcomings I mention are pretty minor, and easy enough to overlook. The game’s sharp art style, clever dialog, and incredibly deep and exhilarating gameplay make for a potent package – it’s just one that a lot of people can’t enjoy to the fullest.

Be that as it may, however, Battletoads grand return is definitely a triumph. It may not be as convincing as it could have been, but the new game definitely demonstrates the IP still has a place in today’s market, and delivers a really fun experience that stands on its own merits as well. The battletoads are back – I hope this time, they are here to stay, and we can see further games starring them that build on the successes of this one.

This game was reviewed on Xbox One.

But that’s not really what I want to talk about here, because we’ve covered it elsewhere – and I do encourage you to go read that if you want to see what we think about that. But the thing with a game as significant as Halo Infinite is that whatever repercussions and consequences it has will be far-reaching. So not only does this delay have implications for the future of the game itself, the Halo series, and the Xbox Series X launch, but it also reveals something extremely interesting about Microsoft and Xbox Game Studios – an interesting facet that should prove to be a major factor as the upcoming next generation progresses.

You see, the long and short of it is that delaying Halo Infinite, but not the Xbox Series X, may have doomed the Series X to a poor launch. This, I hope, is not a controversial statement. The Xbox Series X is currently due to launch without any flagship launch game (the closest would be The Medium, I guess), to the extent that the key PR point in the press release confirming Microsoft’s intent to stick with a November launch wasn’t about the Series X launch lineup at all – it was that the console can play “thousands of games via backward compatibility.”

No key launch title, mixed with a likely high price, and some perplexing messaging so far, means that the Series X may get off to a slow start, a slow start that could easily have been avoided had Halo hit the date. But Microsoft chose to delay it anyway – and that, I think, is the most encouraging sign we have had from them in a very long time.

One of my key criticisms about Microsoft has always been their lack of commitment to games as a medium, which has reflected in the quality of their titles too. Microsoft has so often almost felt like it treats games as a business first, and a creative endeavor second. And while every company is obviously in the business to make money, the issue with Microsoft has often been that it has compromised the games for the sake of the business. Whether it be releasing games well before they were ready (such as Halo: The Master Chief Collection or Halo 5: Guardians), forcing in specific things into each game that they may not be suited for, because of company-wide business mandates, such as the Kinect being their key focus for a few years, the inclusion of the TV stuff in Quantum Break, the attempt to try to shift a singleplayer RPG franchise like Fable towards a live service game, the inclusion of microtransactions in Halo 5, and so on. Obviously, this has impacted the quality of their games – how could it not, when you are forced to release a game that is a compromised form of your creative vision for it due to business considerations?

Business considerations would dictate that Halo Infinite meet the Xbox Series X launch. I’ve already explained why – because without Halo, it’s very likely that the Series X will have a rough few months. A Microsoft still primarily concerned with its bottom line would have ensured Infinite launches this Holiday by hook or by crook – whether this meant releasing it in a half-baked state (which, going by the reports of the game not having raytracing at launch, or even Xbox head Phil Spencer’s own recent admission, was something that was considered) or enforcing severe crunch to hit the deadline no matter what. 

But Microsoft chose to delay Infinite, which is the single worst decision they could have made from a business perspective – but also the best possible decision they could have made if their intent was to ensure Halo Infinite comes out the best possible game it can be. And I think that’s notable, because this may – may – indicate a shift in the broader mindset at Xbox now. 

One of the reasons Nintendo and Sony’s first parties have thrived like they have is because of the almost complete creative freedom those developers get. While they are obviously making commercial products, the developers at least get to work on creative endeavors that they are passionate about without being hamstrung by company-wide mandates. It’s that respect for the creative freedom of their top talent that has made Nintendo (and now Sony) able to sell their hardware on the basis of their own software, a respect for creative freedom Microsoft has, so far, lacked. But this might be the first sign that things are changing, that Phil Spencer and co. are once again willing to actually walk the talk, and put their money where their mouth is. 

Like I said, though, it may. And the reason I’m not willing to make a more declarative statement yet is that we need sustained follow-through from Microsoft. They have seemed to be on the cusp of doing the right thing so many times before, but basically dropped the ball after a bit, because they’re not getting immediate results. But the thing is, you don’t get immediate results from things like these, they’re long term plays. You need to nurture goodwill and trust from your players over a period of years before finally they’ll be willing to have faith in you. It took Sony the entire lifespan of the PS3 to get there – and they had every reason to stop much earlier on, given that so many of their attempts back then were misfires. But they persisted, and here we are now as a result.

That’s what Microsoft needs to do. And it remains to be seen whether or not they will. But at the very least, we can definitely say that this Halo delay is a great move – and hopefully, just the first in a long line of similar moves emphasizing the game over the business, to come.

Note: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, GamingBolt as an organization.

A lot has been said about Xbox Game Pass, from the sheer value it provides to how much impact it will have in the next generation. Though it has millions of subscribers (with over 10 million reported in April 2020), it’s not the biggest profit venture for Microsoft right now. This is according to Aaron Greenberg, GM of Xbox games marketing at Microsoft.

Speaking to What’s Good Games in an interview, Greenberg said that Game Pass is “not a big profit play” currently, since it’s just started out. That being said, despite costing quite a bit in the short term, Microsoft is looking at the long game. “It’s a different mindset. If you do optimize for profit, and you do specifically say… you can either say, ‘How we do get as much profit out of each customer?’ Or, do you pivot that and say, ‘How do we add as much value to our fans?’ ‘How can we actually over-deliver on value?’ If you do that, you build fans for life,” Greenberg said.

Whether fans are built “for life” are not remains to be seen but there’s no denying the share value. At the recent Xbox Games Showcase, major titles like State of Decay 3, Fable, Halo Infinite, Avowed and much more were all confirmed to launch on day one for Xbox Game Pass. That’s crazy value, even if many of these titles are a ways off from launch.

Fans shouldn’t worry about the company losing lots of money on it though. “We always laugh [when we hear that]. Please don’t worry about us,” said Greenberg. “Microsoft is going to be alright. We’re gonna make it – I think we’re gonna be OK.”

Some of the bigger titles coming to Xbox Game Pass in the coming weeks include Obsidian’s Grounded, Shin’en Multimedia’s The Touryst, Sega’s Yazkua Kiwami 2, Microsoft Flight Simulator for PC and inXile Entertainment’s Wasteland 3. Stay tuned for more details on what to expect in August.

Yakuza fans on Xbox won’t have to wait long for the next chapter in the epic saga. Ryu ga Gotoku Studio has announced that Yakuza Kiwami 2 will release for Xbox One and Windows 10 on July 30th. It will be available for both console and PC subscribers of Xbox Game Pass.

Touted as perhaps the best game in the series, Yakuza Kiwmai 2 is a remake of the PS2 classic. It sees Kazuma Kiryu dragged back into the underworld yet again when a war threatens to break out. Developed on the Dragon Engine, Yakuza Kiwami 2 sports beautiful remade graphics and facial animations along with re-recorded cutscenes and voice lines.

Even cooler is the fact that you can now seamlessly transition between battles and from the street into buildings (and vice versa). There’s also a playable side story focused on Majima Goro and tells his journey from Yakuza Kiwami up till the sequel. Yakuza Kiwami 2 is currently available for PS4 and PC – check out our review for it here.

There can only be one dragon.

Two dragons clash when Yakuza Kiwami 2 launches on Xbox One, Windows 10, and on Xbox Game Pass on July 30! pic.twitter.com/phcMzl56Yp

— RGG Studio (@RGGStudio) July 13, 2020

Asobo Studio’s Microsoft Flight Simulator releases on August 18th. A new trailer has been released by Microsoft, announcing the title as open for pre-order on PC. Check it out below and ogle in the gorgeous, realistic planes and environments.

Excellent visuals aren’t the only thing that Microsoft Flight Simulator has going for it. The long-awaited sequel includes over two million cities and environments, providing a huge world to explore. You’ll fly over mountains and forests, witness animals and traffic alike and much more. Dynamic weather makes it all come alive as well.

Microsoft Flight Simulator will even have nearly all of the world’s airports, or more than 40,000 of them at the very least. The game will be out on Xbox One and Windows 10 PC. You can also pre-install it now with Xbox Game Pass for PC. Stay tuned for more details in the coming weeks, especially with the closed beta coming up on July 30th.

Along with releasing for Xbox Game Pass on console tomorrow, Hello Games’ No Man’s Sky will receive support for cross-platform play. Players on PC, PS4, and Xbox One can essentially play together and this even extends to Windows 10, GOG and VR gamers. In fact, a Windows 10 version of the game will also be launching tomorrow and be available on Xbox Game Pass for PC.

In a recent blog post, Hello Games co-founder Sean Murray stated this was done to allow “everyone in the community to benefit from the influx of new players that Game Pass brings.” Cross-play has been in the works for six months and the development team has been “quietly reworking the networking back-end of the game to get all versions of the game onto one single multiplayer base,” as per head of publishing Tim Woodley in a press release. The upcoming updates will also allow for fireteams, speech-to-text and other improvements, especially for multiplayer lobbies.

Of course, you can also visit someone’s base on a different platform (and even marvel at structures that aren’t possible on consoles). There’s more to come this Summer and given the quality of updates for No Man’s Sky, it should be interesting to see what’s next. Stay tuned for more details and announcements in the meantime.

After initially being available on the Microsoft Store for PC, Rare’s Sea of Thieves finally comes to Steam and has already a top-selling title on the platform. The multiplayer sandbox title is set in a world of pirates and encourages hunting for treasure as much as looting other players. Sea of Thieves has changed significantly since launch with five major content expansions added for free.

Along with hunting for artifacts and lost treasure, players can also hunt Skeleton Captains, fish and much more. There are tons of side quests to complete but those seeking a deeper narrative have 11 “tales” to play through. Encompassing two storylines, these tales offer about 30 hours of cinematic gameplay.

When you’ve gotten to the end-game, you can grind towards becoming a Pirate Legend. The most recent update, Lost Treasures, has also brought Daily Bounties to the experience which can be completed for gold. Stay tuned for more details on Sea of Thieves and future updates in the coming weeks.

After Yakuza 0, it’s now the turn of Sega’s Yakuza Kiwami to come to Xbox One and Windows 10 PC. The action adventure title is available on the Microsoft Store for $19.99. However, you can also play it via Xbox Game Pass for console and PC, just like its predecessor.

As a remake of PS2 classic, Yakuza Kiwami centers on gangster Kazuma Kiryu who finally exits prison after a decade. With his former best friend against him and the entire underworld after 10 billion Yen that’s gone missing, Kiryu finds himself mixed up in a lot of chaos. Which is usually through punching, kicking and pile-driving fools into the concrete.

Along with improved visuals, Yakuza Kiwami also sees enhancements to the overall story and combat. Features like the Majima Everywhere system, which has antagonist Majima Goro appearing just about anywhere, are also included. Yakuza Kiwami is also available for PS3, PS4 and PC via Steam. Check out our review for the PS4 version here.