By: Tyler Miller

Today on the Road to E3 2018, we talk about Microsoft and what I’m looking forward to from their show. When it comes to Microsoft, they always tend to have a good showing at E3. Some things may be a bit corny and boring, but they tend to do a good job for the most part. Let’s take a look at Microsoft’s show and see just what there is for us to get excited about this year!

What I’m Looking Forward To

Gears of War 5

While Gears of War 5 isn’t confirmed, it was a part of the Wal-Mart leak that so far has proven to be true. It also makes sense for Gears to make a return at E3 this year, as the last entry in the series released in 2016, so I can see the team over at The Coalition being able to cook something up in a year and a half. There are two big questions I have though regarding the game.

First off, will it release this year? It would be beneficial for Microsoft to have the game come out this year so that they have a big exclusive that can compete with this holiday season’s heavy hitters. Second, and possibly the bigger question, is will it have some sort of battle royale component? Battle royale is the new big thing that’s taking over the gaming industry, so it makes sense that Microsoft would try to get in while the iron’s still hot. How it would work with Gears is a mystery to me, but I’m sure The Coalition will find a way to make it work with a Gears twist on the formula.

Metro: Exodus

While Metro: Exodus isn’t a Microsoft exclusive, it made its grand debut on their stage last year at E3, so it only makes sense to expect the same this year. I’ve never played any of the Metro games, but they have always been games I’ve been interested in. Seeing just how great Exodus looks from a graphical standpoint, and then reading up on how the game plays has me excited to see more from the game this year at E3 and hop on board the hype train.

Crackdown 3

I’m going to be honest with you all. The only reason I have Crackdown 3 on this list at all is because I think the game looks cool and like it could be a lot of fun. If anything, it’s an even better candidate for a battle royale mode than Gears of War, especially with the level of destructibility on offer. But with all the delays the game has suffered and the long periods of silence on the game’s development, I can’t help but just not be excited for the game or even care too much about it. I feel like there’s a story of troubled development behind the game, and I worry that the game is going to be a disappointment with a litany of issues that prevent it from being as good as we all would like it to be. At this point in time, I just want the game to come out so that we don’t have to see it at another E3.

Halo 6

This is more of a wish than anything based in reality, but I’m hoping that we see something about Halo 6 this year at E3. Halo 5: Guardians came out in 2015, so it’s been some time since the last mainline title in the series. Sure the campaign wasn’t that well received, but the multiplayer received praise from fans and critics alike. Even if the game isn’t coming out this year, now is a good time to at least announce the game and get people excited for more of Microsoft’s flagship franchise. If there’s gameplay ready that they can show, that’s even better. You can also bet that 343 Studios is thinking of ways to get battle royale into Halo. Microsoft wants to compete in that space, so getting their biggest franchise to step into the arena is the best way to do that.

ID@Xbox

The ID@Xbox segment of of Microsoft’s show is always filled with some cool looking indie games, some of which get stage time outside of the montage. I typically look forward to seeing what fun things indie devs have come up with, and this year is no different. I hope we get to see more from the Blade Runner-esque The Last Night, as that was the most eye-catching indie game shown last year in my opinion. Whatever is shown though is bound to please and intrigue.

More Backwards Compatibility Support

Ever since E3 last year, more and more games have been added to the backwards compatibility list, pleasing fans of all genres. The team over at Xbox is sure to have a couple of big announcements on this front that’ll garner lots of cheers and applause, so I’m excited to see what they’re bringing to the table.

What I Don’t Want To Happen

A Long Minecraft Section

I know that Microsoft bought Minecraft developer Mojang for a ridiculous amount of money, so they want to make the most of that purchase and give the game a good amount of stage time at E3. But guys, Minecraft is not what we want to sit and watch for what feels like forever at E3. Yes, there are fans out there that would love to sit and soak up as much Minecraft as they can get, but the game’s popularity is nowhere near the peak it was years ago, so the majority of people watching the press conference are not going to care about anything that’s shown. So please, spare us and dedicate the time to something more important.

And that’s it for Microsoft! They’re in a good position with the Xbox right now, but they can always do better. Perhaps this is the year where they start to really make a case for people buying the Xbox One X and solidify just why people should buy it over a PS4 Pro or anything else. This may also be the year where Crackdown 3 gets a release date at the show and actually sticks to it. Next Sunday we’ll have all the answers, when Microsoft has the press conference at 1 PM PT/ 4 PM ET.