If there’s one thing I think we can all agree on about Microsoft’s conference it’s that there was no scarcity of new announcements and presentations. It feels like the company learned from previous years and wanted to avoid those languishing lulls that occurred in conferences gone by. They worked hard on creating a show that started and didn’t stop once it got going. Halo 5 was one of the most visually striking games on display, not only featuring technical prowess in its graphics, particularly in the particle physics department, but we also saw a take on the Halo environments and enemies that felt more like 343’s own. The optimist in me is hoping that Halo 5 will push the series ahead into something truly new and I’m not seeing that here, but at the very least it looks solid. It felt appropriate that this demo of a sequel to a long-running series was followed up with something completely new. There’s a lot of potential to Recore’s idea of changing out your robot companion in various different forms to the extent that I kind of hope you can play as the robots.

The announcement of backwards compatibility on the Xbox One was one of the biggest “Oh shit” moments of the expo so far, partly because it seemed so impossible. I do think a lack of backwards compatibility has been a contributing factor for the slow launch of this new generation of consoles, and I hope we see a serious number of developers turning this feature on because it goes a long way to help filling out a console’s library. If this really requires no work on the developer end to have games running properly it might be actual magic. I like the look of the One’s new controller. The option to change about the locations of the controller elements is the kind of thing that seems obvious as a great feature now we’ve seen it, but required something special to come up with and make a reality to begin with. The $150 price tag on that makes it an insanely hard sell for me though. It’s hard to see it having much appeal to anyone beyond the competitive fighting game and shooter crowd.

Microsoft weren’t the only one capable of outlandish software support though as Bethesda proved to us. The mod integration on Fallout 4 is the kind of support for amateur creators that you rarely see on a console and it shows an active commitment to making player choice a key part of that game, as opposed to just having it be a buzz term on a teleprompter. I have to believe there’s going to be some sort of control placed on exactly what kinds of mods you’ll be able to download and distribute however, script extenders certainly have to be off limits. Even if it might not have been the most interesting service to hear about, I do think there’s some genuine merit to the ideas behind EA Access. This just probably wasn’t the week to give everyone a free trial of it.

Past Garden Warfare 2, Dark Souls III, and the ridiculousness of a Ford GT behind lowered into the conference hall from the ceiling, we hit a trailer for The Division. It was that certain kind of trailer you often see at E3 where the voiceover suggests impacting drama, but the game itself seems to have little interest in backing it up. In general there is an odd trend that pervades the conferences where we’re told that no matter what the game is we come to it for the amazing world and story. For some games that’s true, but for many it’s just not and this kind of hyperbole speaks to a troubling industry standard for what comprises a good story. We then saw some more Rainbow Six and the unique look of Gigantic. Best of luck to anyone ballsy enough to try and put out a MOBA in the current climate.

For me things picked back up when Microsoft hit a rich deposit of indie titles. Perhaps partially prompted by the great reception of Sony’s indie inclusivity last year, Microsoft’s eagerness in backing independent developers shined through. Despite modern indie games having some of their roots in XBLA, it feels like Microsoft are one of those companies who’ve taken a while to catch up with the reality of indies being big contenders now. Those who’ve published digitally on the Xbox in the past have reported bad experiences and it feels like Microsoft want to rebuild those bridges, at least a little. Seeing someone like Steve Gaynor on stage showing off their game is something that would not have happened a few years ago and I find myself very happy that we’re at a place where that can be a reality. Fullbright’s Tacoma is one of the games at the show I most want to see fully explained. The folks at Fullbright have a connection to environmental storytelling that almost no one else does and to see that in an entirely new genre is an exciting prospect. Of course, Cuphead also looks wonderful. An out-of-left-field game that chose a very specific kind of media and nails its look with amazing precision and personality.

Rise of the Tomb Raider was wonderful eye candy, although I am waiting for them to show gameplay that breaks a fair way from what we saw last time. Tomb Raider was a great game, but I felt like its mechanics were very well-explored by the time I’d finished the game and picked up a good chunk of the collectibles. The supernatural elements were also one of my least favourite parts of the Tomb Raider story, they just felt hokey. I’m a fan of what Rare are doing with their collection bundle, especially considering it would have been so enticing for them to parcel each of those games out for a separate re-release with a relatively sizeable price tag on each one. Sea of Thieves certainly has my interest as well. While taking to the open waves in games has typically been a solo affair, the co-operation involved in running a ship is fertile ground on which to build team-based multiplayer.

The penultimate item for Microsoft’s conference felt like it might have survived better as the final one. The Microsoft Hololens had an unmistakably cool and futuristic feel to it, but I’m also cautious in my expectations for it. The Minecraft demo featured a very individual use case that wouldn’t apply for most other games and even then felt like it was more about looking interesting than providing any great depth or utility. Being able to look at a wall and virtually project a screen onto it may have some practicality, but then questions arise about what happens when you turn your head and so on. And this is before we even know how well this thing works. Given the growing pains of technologies like motion controls and 3D movies I don’t think it’s unrealistic that it could be several years or more before this technology is in a somewhat reliable place and by that time we could find out that we just don’t want it. But yes, the cross-section of that Minecraft world was a wonderful sight.

I enjoyed the closer more than most. It wasn’t the game to end on, largely because it felt too quiet and was not intensely paced. Compare the Gears of War 4 demo to what rounded out Sony’s press conference and the difference is striking. Still, this was Gears with a totally new look, enemies, and characters. A far cry from what we’ve been used to, there was a haunted house vibe to what they were doing. I can take the characters more seriously, I liked that environment, and I’m all for reworking IPs in intriguing ways. Altogether, not a bad presentation by Microsoft.