Xbox One: hands-on with the hottest launch games

Reuters- MSN Tech was lucky enough to spend some time in the US of A recently, getting our game on with the some of the most hotly anticipated video games ever – the Xbox One launch titles. Not only did we get to play and experience previously unseen levels and stages of all the launch games, we also got to spend some time with the developers who have spent the last weeks, months and years working on the titles; so we were able to find out exactly what makes each game unique. We also spoke with Microsoft’s corporate VP of Game Studios Phil Spencer to see what games he was most excited about. 


 Microsoft Studios- Ryse: Son of Rome has been a long time coming. First announced as an exclusive Xbox 360 game at E3 2011, the title has evolved into a next-gen title that is simply stunning. Graphically, it’s gorgeous and the motion and actions of the characters are fantastic as a result of Crytek making use of both trained stage actors and Andy Serkis’ company The Imaginarium for the motion-capturing aspects. We played the first few levels of the title, taking on the role of Marius Titus - a young Roman soldier who witnesses the murder of his family at the hands of barbarian bandits, then travels with the Roman army to Britannia to seek revenge. Our mind was blown – it plays as well as it looks. We don’t want to give too much away regarding the storyline but you’re thrown in to a Rome in chaos and your task is not only to thrive but to restore the empire (at the same time avenging the honour of your family). The cut sequences are as realistic as anything we’ve seen on a games console and the action comes thick and fast. You’ll soon get the hang of the various combos needed to take down your enemies and the execution moves (that earn you gameplay awards) are as gruesome as they are addictive. “The most visually stunning thing is Ryse,” Phil Spencer said, when we asked him about the game. “I’ve played through the game a number of times and, over the last few months, the graphic fidelity has increased. It’s one of those games that I’ll play simply to see what they’ve done to the next level graphically. It’s jaw-dropping what Crytek and the team have been able to bring.”

 Capcom- Dead Rising 3 gave us our first real taste of the extensive SmartGlass features heading to Xbox One. As we fought (quite literally, there were zombies everywhere) through a couple of the game’s chapters we took phone calls from ‘friends’ on a smartphone and located weapons that we needed to progress using a maps app on the handset. Dead Rising 3 presents an enormous open world, packed with an absolute wealth of content (zombies, allies, weapons, vehicles buildings, food and more) that you can interact with. No spoilers here, but what we will say is for fans of Capcom games is that you might be surprised to see some familiar faces popping up – especially when you start combining the various objects littering the floor around the zombie-infested world. “To have the support of Capcom with an exclusive game at launch is great,” said Spencer. “You always have to have zombies at a launch – that’s a rule.”

Microsoft Studios- An Xbox launch wouldn't be complete without another dose of polished, high-octane Forza action. The popular racing franchise will be available exclusively for Xbox One at launch. We’re told there are over 200 different cars in the game – we chose a Toyota for our first foray into Forza 5’s new career platform, a platform that splits genres and even time periods into more bite-sized chunks. There’s no waiting around and completing most of the game before the supercars are available, you can drive what you want, right from the off. And you can even take on the Stig by driving around the famous Top Gear track. Top Gear plays a massive part in the game overall – cars and tracks are introduced by the show’s trio of presenters. Petrol-heads will also love the incredible detail of the cars when viewing them in the garage. Even the smallest of engine parts are included and no attention to detail is spared. “Forza’s great,” said Spencer. “The thing that I’ll still be playing a year from now is Forza because I’m a racing fan and Turn 10 always do such a great job. They give you the opportunity to take these fantastic cars and take them around Spa, Bathurst…it’s incredible.”