Xbox One S preview: Thinner, better PS4 beater
Although Microsoft launched a console even more powerful for next year, the Xbox One S announcement during its E3 2016 media briefing must still be lauded as one of the more significant moves of the show.
The slimmer, trimmer machine puts Microsoft in a strong position coming up to Christmas this year. It is out in August, has 4K HDR video output capabilities, HDR gaming talents and costs just $299 for the entry level model. If you haven’t jumped on board with this generation of gaming yet, now’s the ideal time.
Microsoft will be spec’ing the console with 500GB, 1TB or, for the first time, a 2TB drive. It has also ditched the enormous power brick of the original – a feat unto itself considering how tiny the new console’s cabinet.
READ: Xbox E3 2016 highlights: What was launched, Project Scorpio, Xbox One S and much more
We got to see and play on the new machine, with HDR gaming on Gears 4 and Forza Horizon 3 playable at an Xbox Showcase prior to E3 starting proper, and are already very impressed.
For a start, at 40 per cent smaller than the standard Xbox One, it suits a living room better, and can be stood vertically like other machines in the manufacturer’s back catalogue. It also looks less like a Betamax player from the 80s than before.
Pocket-lint
And because it is white, it looks even more svelte. As does the new controller, which also comes with better range and textured grips.
We need to properly test it in the coming weeks before launch, but all is looking good at this stage.
First Impressions
There’s no doubt in our minds that the Xbox One S will be a highly desirable console come Christmas, even putting the current PS4 to shame with its 4K HDR video capabilities and HDR gaming.
However, it is strange that Xbox decided to also unveil Project Scorpio at the same event, which could put people off a purchase of the Xbox One S in preference to holding on for another year. We do though believe that Scorpio will be far more expensive and, in absence of a full review at this stage, the Xbox One S looks to be the best current gen console you can buy this year.
PlayStation at E3 2016: God of War, Days Gone, Death Stranding and more trailers, plus PS VR
Sony had some serious boots to fill following Microsoft’s pre-E3 conference. But fill it did, kicking things off with the latest God of War, showing a whole new side of action adventure to the well-known formula.
That wasn’t all, with The Last Guardian getting a release date (finally), Quantic Dream’s Detroit: Become Human showing face, in among live playable demos of Horizon: Zero Dawn and more.
Perhaps biggest of all was Sony’s push of PlayStation VR, which will be released on October 13, priced $399 (no UK price just yet). It’ll have Batman Arkham in VR, Resident Evil 7 in VR (the whole game), and more than 50 titles at launch.
Here are the best trailers from the Sony Playstation E3 2016 pre-E3 conference.
God of War
When you think God of War you probably don’t think of a game with much heart. But the forthcoming PS4 game combines action and adventure with story in the way that Sony knows best. And it looks simply amazing. From snow effects, to the graphical fidelity, huge characters and fast-paced action. One to look forward to for 2017.
Days Gone
Initially show with little information, Sony then went on to close its conference with a live demo of what turns out to be a terrifying zombie apocalypse title.
Droves of the undead chase our biker hero in a relentless stream that got our heart’s pounding equally relentlessly. Crazy times. Almost like Sony’s answer to Dead Rising, but far more sinister. Another for the 2017 shopping list, we think.
Death Stranding
Say hello to Kojima in his post-Konami role. Yep, the Japanese mastermind behind Metal Gear Solid has been signed to Sony, with his new Kojima Productions house.
Starring Norman Reedus, of Walking Dead fame, and kicking off with a dramatic track and by Low Roar, there’s not much detail about this title just yet. But of all the teases this was the most cinematic and eye-catching of the lot.
Horizon: Zero Dawn
Despite making roughly no sense at all – robot dinosaurs in a sort-of caveman world – we think Horizon: Zero Dawn looks like a stunning open-world experience. Especially having seen a live gameplay preview.
Think Witcher 3 meets Far Cry in levels of adventure and RPG action, with a combat wheel and slow-mo action to select your type of weapons and ammo – with multiple selections essential to take down the corrupt robots.
Destructible environments, robot dinosaurs, a large open-world and an ace female protagonist. What more could you ask for? It’ll be out February 28
The Last Guardian
Sony’s will-it-won’t-it puzzler has taken years to get off the ground but now, finally, this quirky Japanese adventure has a release date: October 25 2016.
Spiderman
Spidey exclusively on PS4? Insomniac Games is behind this Marvel classic, with all the web-slinging and rooftop-swinging you’d expect from a Spiderman game.
Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare
Year in year out the CoD train keeps on turning, but as much stick as it gets thrown at it, the latest Infinite Warfare instalment actually looks great.
It takes place in the reaches of outer space, with plenty of zero-g action, a smattering of vehicle controls, a grappling hook to beef-up your spacewalks, and the usual gunning mayhem.
Detroit: Become Human
David Cage of Quantic Dream is well known for making cinematic games and elements of Detroit: Become Human – which is about human-like androids – look interesting.
The actual trailer, however, looks like it was thrown together last minute, a splicing of cheesy explainer moments and typical choice-driven gameplay.
PlayStation VR
We’ve held it out til last, but PlayStation VR is Sony’s big push with the PS4. It’ll be out on October 13, priced $399, along with more than 50 available games by the end of the year. And given Microsoft’s double console unveil today, Sony really needed to shout about some hardware, right?
From Resident Evil 7, which will be playable from beginning to end in VR, to Star Wars Battlefront PS VR experience and even Batman Arkham VR, there’s a bevy of top titles to look forward to. Resi looks terrifying too.
Batman is coming to PlayStation VR this October
Within the midst of a bunch premium VR offerings set to come to PlayStation’s incoming headset, here’s a new one: Batman: Arkham VR. While the tease didn’t let much out of the bag, the Joker is involved, and made some clever allusions to wearing a mask and questioning what’s real when you never take it off. (Note: VR headsets aren’t that cosy — it shouldn’t be an issue.) Expect to hear more before October.
PlayStation VR launches on October 13th
We knew PlayStation VR was releasing in October already, but now we know exactly when: October 13th — at least in North America. The headset will cost $400, but that doesn’t include the PlayStation Camera, which retails at $60, or Move controllers (you can just use your DualShock, which is also motion-tracked via its lightbar if you have a Camera). Sony has promised 50 games will support the system by the end of the year.
Follow all the news from E3 2016 here.
‘Crash Bandicoot’ is back
Sony knows that what the people want: nostalgia. Last year we got Shenmue and Final Fantasy VII. This year, we’ve got three Crash Bandicoot remasters for PlayStation 4. That means the original game, its sequel and the third game, Warped, are all being given the HD treatment. Words cannot describe how excited people are at Sony’s event right now. Sure, it’s not quite the all-new Crash Bandicoot we were all hoping for after the game made an appearance in Uncharted 4, but it’s bound to sell like crazy anyway.
Follow all the news from E3 2016 here.
Resident Evil 7 will be fully playable in PlayStation VR
If you ever played P.T., the playable teaser for the now defunct Silent Hills — you know exactly how terrifying atmospheric gameplay can be. A dimly rit room can create a sense of claustrophobia. Otherworldly sounds can put you on edge. Now, put that carefully constructed horror world into VR, and you’ve got Resident Evil 7 — the scariest looking game to come out of E3 so far.
Resident Evil can be creepy enough on its own, but Sony says the entire game will be playable in PSVR from start to finish. If that sounds terrifying, it is: the slow, foreboding narrative of the game’s new trailer is a huge departure from the action packed teaser Sony showed E3 2015 — one that truly makes the “horror” aspect of the survival horror genre stand out.
Experiencing that in virtual reality could be downright traumatising. Luckily, that’s not your only option: the game will be playable without a VR headset, too — though the game will still maintain a first-person perspective. Sony says the Resident Evil 7 demo will be available to Playstation Plus subscribers as soon as its E3 press conference ends. Brave enough to play it in VR? You’ll have to wait awhile. PlayStation VR might launch in October, but Resident Evil 7 isn’t out until January 24th.
‘Detroit: Become Human’ is all about the decisions you make
The team that brought you Heavy Rain is back with the choose-your-own-adventure game Detroit: Become Human. During gameplay footage shown at Sony’s E3 press conference, we saw an android detective faced with a myriad of decisions that need to be made to free a child hostage. Each choice created an entirely new scenario which should make for interesting gameplay. The demo also showed our robot cop solving crimes and dealing with the consequences of all its decisions.
An earlier trailer showed other androids, no word on if those robots will be playable or when this game will land on PlayStation.
Norman Reedus and Hideo Kojima reunite for ‘Death Stranding’
Hideo Kojima made a stunning entrance during Sony’s E3 2016 press conference, showing off an enigmatic yet intriguing opening to a game entitled Death Stranding. After the chilling Silent Hills, featuring Norman Reedus in the lead role, fell through, it’s interesting to see what will become of this new partnership.
The latest from Kojima Productions, Death Stranding could potentially be different project from the one Kojima has previously been touting, although it wasn’t explicitly stated.
The footage shown during the conference revealed a crying Norman Reedus as he held a newborn baby to his chest, overcome with grief, as it appeared the child had soon succumbed to death. Soon after he discovered his hands stained with a black, ink-like substance.
Death, it appears, is this man’s curse. Of course, knowing Kojima, the video was obviously meant to be extremely enigmatic. Here’s to hoping all becomes clear soon.
Insomniac’s take on Spider-Man features an experienced hero
Tired of seeing superhero origin stories retreaded again and again and again? Then the next Spider-man game might be for you. At its E3 press event today, PlayStation announced a new take on the series from Insomniac Games — one that focuses on the exploits of a more experienced adult wall-crawler.
It’s refreshing in more way than one — for the better part of the last two decades, it’s been hard to find a Spider-Man game without some sort of narrative tie to an ongoing film franchise. This game looks different: it seems to feature an older version of the hero with new, distinctive costume that sets it apart from the previous films, or the upcoming Spider-Man Homecoming. Insomniac games says it’s a “brand-new, authentic Spider-Man story” that focuses on an “experienced Peter Parker who is more masterful at fighting crime.”
So, the narrative is fresh, but how about the actual gameplay? It’s hard to tell from the teaser, but Insomniac has a decent track record, including last year’s Sunset Overdrive, which was praised for having a fluid movement system. Either way, we probably won’t know for awhile: the game was announced with no release date on the horizon and incredibly temporary title of “Spider-Man PS4.”
Follow all the news from E3 2016 here!
Everything we saw at Ubisoft’s E3 event
Ubisoft’s annual bit-too-weird E3 event went as scheduled, with acid-colored dance routines, weird ironic (?) Ubisoft creatives in comedy skits I didn’t quite understand, oh, and a bunch of games. That included closer looks at Watch Dogs 2, Ghost Recon: Wildlands, as well as some virtual Star Trek and a sneak peak behind the scenes of Fassassin’s Creed. Let’s take a look.
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