Cuphead – September 29
Microsoft unveiled Cuphead, the frenetic run and gun game from StudioMDHR Entertainment, during their E3 2014 press conference. Featuring hand-drawn levels and characters in the old school 1930s animation style, brothers Chad and Jared Moldenhauer have been developing the indie platformer since 2010. The game focuses heavily on quintessential run and gun mechanics, epic boss fights, and the quirky main character Cuphead — who the brothers designed after a 1936 Japanese propaganda film in which a teacup-headed man turns into a tank.
The impressive animations in Cuphead don’t just mimic the unique art-style of Tex Avery-era cartoons, but also the meticulous process through which those animations were created. Chad Moldenhauer draws every character, animates every movement, and paints every background as if the technology hasn’t changed much since the Depression Era. All of that painstaking work comes to a head in late September, as Cuphead makes its way to the Xbox One after seven years of development.
Forza Motorsport 7 – October 3
It wouldn’t be a fall Xbox lineup without a brand new Forza coming to the console, and this year it is Forza Motorsport’s turn. The team at Turn 10 has built a franchise that has become the gold standard in the simulation racing genre, and Forza Motorsport 7 will push that envelope even further. When the game launches in October, it will feature over 700 cars (compared to 450 in Forza 6) with no shortage of Ferraris, Lamborghinis, and Porsches, as well as classic cars from Alfa Romeo, Fiat, and Mercedes.
Forza not only expands on previous iterations with more cars and tracks but also with a deeper weather mechanic. Forza 6 introduced a day/night cycle, and its successor will include an entire dynamic weather system. Whether intense rain is creating massive puddles on the track or the sun has created a sweltering surface, drivers will have to adjust how they approach each race.
Perhaps the biggest upgrade coming to Forza comes on the visual side. Developed alongside the Xbox One X and optimized for the powerful hardware, Forza 7 will run at 4K/60fps, making it the most visually impressive racing game available on console.
Super Lucky’s Tale – November 7
With the delay of Crackdown 3, Super Lucky’s Tale will be the only launch title coming day and date with the Xbox One X. The quirky 3D-platformer from developer Playful Corp draws inspiration from old-school mascot platformers like Banjo-Kazooie on the N64. Lucky, the game’s titular character, explores a brightly colored world as he attempts to help his sister rescue the Book of Ages from the game’s main villain, Jynx.
While the release will be the game’s first attempt at a traditional console release, the franchise originally found success on Oculus Rift with Lucky’s Tale. Now, the game will look to take full advantage of the power of yet another piece of new hardware — the Xbox One X — with full 4K/60fps support right out of the gate.
PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds – 2017
The hottest game on Steam will make its way exclusively to the Xbox One some time before the end of the year via the Xbox Game Preview program. PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds is a battle royale style shooter that has sold over seven million copies in early access on Steam. PUBG developer Bluehole hopes to capture the same magic on consoles.
At Gamescom 2017, Microsoft announced that they would publish the Xbox One version of PUBG, as opposed to the Steam version which Bluehole self-publishes. “By partnering with Microsoft,” Bluehole, Inc. VP and Executive Producer of PUBG Chang Han Kim wrote in an Xbox Wire post, “our team believes that we will be able to accelerate console development, while maintaining quality across all platforms, as well as giving us access to vast sales, marketing and publishing resources that will help us reach new fans to welcome to the PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds universe.”
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