2016 was a big year in the world of video games. The world finally saw the release of The Last Guardian, Final Fantasy XV, and Persona 5 after being delayed for years. We also saw the continuation of popular franchises with the release of Dead Rising 4, Gears of War 4, Uncharted 4, Dark Souls 3, and Dishonored 2, just to name a few. Although 2016 was an interesting year in gaming, 2017 looks to be an especially interesting year for Xbox One gamers, even if Scalebound was canceled.
Scalebound‘s cancellation may have come as a shock to the Xbox community, but 2017 still has a lot to offer to the Xbox One and Windows PC gamers. Here is our list of the top 10 Xbox One games to keep an eye out for during 2017.
Halo Wars 2
Halo Wars 2 is set to arrive on February 21st, almost seven years after the release of the first Halo Wars. Halo Wars 2 takes place after the events of Halo 5 and introduces a new enemy faction called The Banished, an army of former Covenant soldiers whose actions were considered to be a threat to the Covenant. Their leader a Brute warlord by the name of Atriox, who is looking to reclaim his former glory and take over the universe. Halo Wars 2 is a real-time strategy game that has you play as Captain James Cutter as he leads the UNSC Spirit of Fire against The Banished. Halo Wars 2 will also be playable through Play Anywhere on Windows 10, which adds the keyboard and mouse support most strategy players crave.
Halo Wars brought the RTS Strategy genre to the Halo franchise and introduced players to past events in the Halo franchise. Halo Wars introduced players to new characters, weapon types, and military units. Each commander has their own special ability that could be used against the enemy to swing the tides of battle in their favor. In Halo Wars 2, commander abilities have been brought back and altered removing some of the more common bugs from Halo Wars.
Crackdown 3
At the moment there is no current release date for Crackdown 3, but it is currently predicted to release sometime later this fall. Crackdown 3 is set in a large sandbox world that will feature destructible environments that can be triggered by multiple players throughout its rich, vibrantly colored world. The game looks to retain what the series had previously established by creating an online multiplayer RPG-like experience.
Sea of Thieves
Sea of Thieves is an open-world action adventure game currently in development by Rare. Players can craft their own adventure through the use of in-game tools. By using the Unreal Engine 4, Sea of Thieves allows players to experience realistic weather occurrences which can be deadly while sailing on the high seas. If you have ever felt like playing a pirates game with your friends than Sea of Thieves might be a great choice later this year. From first-hand experience, Sea of Thieves will steal your heart and time as you plunder your way across the seven seas.
Rise & Shine
Rise and Shine is a shooting puzzle game that looks to redefine puzzle platformers through “think and gun” strategy. By using Shine’s different functions, players can solve puzzles by using bullets in ways you didn’t know where possible. Each level is different to create a memorable experience with hand drawn illustrations that flow through the level with each step providing a unique and diverse experience. Rise & Shine is out now on Xbox One.
Natsuki Chronicle
Not much is known about Natsuki Chronicle, other than it keeps being delayed. From the trailers, Natsuki Chronicle looks to be a side-scrolling shooter where the player controls the ship to shoot down enemies similar to the Xbox 360 game, Aegis Wing. Hopefully, more will be revealed at about Natsuki Chronicle E3 2017 later this June. We’re certainly excited to learn more about this mysterious project.
Cuphead
Aptly named, Cuphead is a side-scrolling, run-and-gun indie platformer styled to resemble a 1930’s cartoon. Cuphead follows the deeds of Cuphead and Mugman as they must repay the devil after a lost wager. The player has infinite lives and holds on to weapons between deaths. Cuphead is set to release in the middle of 2017 and will likely be a fun co-op experience.
State of Decay 2
State of Decay 2 is a zombie survival game from Undead Labs. Following the success of the first State of Decay back in 2013, State of Decay 2 looks to continue where its predecessor left off by offering another 3rd person adventure through a brutal zombie apocalypse. Players will be able to explore a vast and dangerous open world environment with the help of up to three other players. State of Decay 2 should release in August later this year and will be playable both on Xbox One and Windows PC.
Phantom Dust
Back in 2004, Microsoft released Phantom Dust in Japan. Six months later Phantom Dust would come to North America and would develop a cult following with its intriguing world and gameplay. Players would use card-based skills to battle against other players in order to discover why the world was in disarray. From the teaser trailer, Phantom Dust looks to be set in an elegant, but destructive landscape. Currently, there is no official release date for Phantom Dust, but Phil Spencer has stated that he hopes for Phantom Dust to release before E3 2017.
Tacoma
Tacoma is the second game by Fullbright Studios, who developed Gone Home and has team members that helped bring the critically successful Minerva’s Den to Bioshock 2. Tacoma takes place in a space station where the lead heroin is being granted access to the Lunar Transfer Station. The art style is similar to that of Bioshock, giving an eerie quiet before the storm feeling. Look for more information on Tacoma at E3 later this year.
Forza Motorsports 7
Although there has been no official announcement yet, look for Forza Motorsport 7 to be announced at E3 2017. Each year the Forza series surprises players with a wider variety of cars and an increasingly realistic driving simulation. How will Microsoft look to improve the world of Forza? How much more gorgeous can the graphics possibly get?
Within recent years, Forza has grown to be the top racing franchise in the world after the decline of the Need for Speed franchise. How will the play anywhere option affect players from Windows 10 and Xbox One and will Microsoft enable cross-platform play?
Bonus*
Halo 6 Beta
Now, this may seem like a long shot, but be on the lookout for the possibility of a Halo 6 beta in December. If Microsoft continues its cycle of game releases, expect for Halo 6 to be released September or October 2018. Halo 5 made us question everything we knew about Master Chief while introducing us to Spartan Locke. How will Halo 6 change the landscape of the Halo franchise and will Locke play a bigger role? No matter who the main character is in Halo 6, we hope that it will be better than Halo 5‘s minimal and mundane experience.
2017 looks to be an amazing year for games and these ten games that are exclusive to Xbox One and Windows 10 PC look to make it even better for Xbox Fans. Who’s excited for Xbox One 2017? Let us know on social media or in the comments below.
