Despite a couple of cancellations, Microsoft is releasing a handful of games in 2017 that should garner wide-spread acclaim and keep Xbox One owners and fans happy. It appears as though this list is going through the “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” mentality as most of the games on this list are sequels.
Note: Some of these titles were included in our most Anticipated PlayStation 4 Games of 2017 feature.
Mass Effect: Andromeda
Developer: BioWare
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Release Date: March 21, 2017
Five years after the release of Mass Effect III, BioWare Studios returns to their beloved franchise with Mass Effect: Andromeda. While this latest instalment is actually a midquel (taking place between Mass Effect II and Mass Effect III) and fans don’t play as Commander Sheppard, the game allows players to see what was going on in the Andromeda galaxy. The player takes the role of Sara or Scott Ryder, and instead of only choosing between six character classes, they will now be able develop their own skills. Mass Effect: Andromeda also removes the morality scaling which allows the player more free reign in their conversations. Despite the mixed opinions of Mass Effect III, Mass Effect: Andromeda looks like it will inject new life into the franchise. Mass Effect: Andromeda launches on March 21, 2017.
Crackdown 3
Developer: Reagebt Ganesm Syni Dugutal, Cloudgine
Publisher: Microsoft Studios
Release Date: 2017
Launched in 2007, the original Crackdown was an open world, action-adventure, sandbox that allowed players to take down the criminal originations any way they saw fit. Crackdown was set in the futuristic metropolis of Pacific City where the player takes control of an agent from “The Agency” which sets to help the city’s Peacekeepers after they were overwhelmed by the rising violence. Crackdown 3 will now take place in a new city and aside from being able to do everything you could in Crackdown and Crackdown 2 the game will now have a multiplayer mode and everything in the environment will be destructible. Crackdown 3 is set to come out sometime in 2017.
South Park: The Fractured but Whole
Developer: Ubisoft, Ubisoft San Francisco, South Park Digital Studios
Publisher: Ubisoft
Release Date: 2017
After the astonishing success of South Park: The Stick of Truth in 2014, Ubisoft created a sequel which parodies superheroes. South Park: The Fractured but Whole, takes place after the first game and pits two groups of children superheroes against each other Captain America: Civil War style. The player will once again be tossed into a South Park episode and play a new kid who helps out the group. This time, the player can choose the new kid’s gender. South Park: The Fractured but Whole has been delayed twice now, but the general consensus is that the new game will still debut in 2017 (albeit, later than fans hoped).
State of Decay 2
Developer: Undead Labs
Publisher: Microsoft Studios
Release Date: 2017
It’s back to the world of zombies in the action-adventure, survivor stealth horror game, State of Decay 2. The sequel to State of Decay will once again follow the three survivors of the first game and as they struggle to survive and rebuild a community. Exactly like State of Decay, State of Decay 2 will once again allow for three-player co-op and focus on the players leadership skills like group distrust and moral and lack of resources. The player will also be able to recruit more people into the community, be able to trade with others and customize the community however they please. The open-world game is set to come out in 2017.
Outlast 2
Developer: Red Barrels Studio
Publisher: Red Barrels Studio
Release Date: 2017
The sequel to the terrifying, first-person, survival horror game, Outlast is definitely one fans have been dying for (get it? Because it’s a horror game!). Outlast 2 follows a journalist named Blake as he follows the mystery of a murdered pregnant woman. Blake and his wife Lynn, crash in the Sonoran Desert, and now have to go through a remote village that hosts a cult that believes the end of days is upon them. Like this first game, the player won’t be able to fight, but unlike the first game, the player will have a better camera. The player can zoom, have clearer vision and audio detection. The player will even wear glasses that will inhibit Blake’s vision if they fall off. Outlast 2 was initially supposed to release in fall of 2016, and even though it doesn’t have an official date, developer Red Barrels said the game will release in Q1 2017. If you can’t wait, the demo is currently available.
Cuphead
Developer: Studio MDHR
Publisher: Studio MDHR
Release Date:2017
Not only is Cuphead the only non-sequel on this list, this classic run and gun indie platformer might possibly be the most visually interesting. Based on 1930’s style cartoons, Cuphead follows the adventures of Cuphead who loses a bet with the Devil. Now the player must defeat bosses and complete various levels in an attempt to repay the bet. The game can be played with two people in a co-op mode and features branching level sequences. The levels are even accessible through an action RPG-style overworld and will feature secret areas. This Canadian indie game will turn back the clock and overwhelm players with nostalgia. Cuphead is set to release in 2017.
Prey
Developer: Arkane Studios, Human Head Studios
Publisher: Bethesda Softworks
Release Date: May 5, 2017
Originally developed as a sequel to the 2006 hit, Prey, this version of Prey is now a complete reboot. Set in the year 2032, players takes the role of Morgan Yu, a human aboard a space station called Talos I which orbits the moon. Yu is a key test subject in an experiment that will change humanity forever, but things go terribly haywire. As the space station becomes overrun with hostile aliens, Yu has no choice but to fight for their life and find a way to stop the alien threat. Yu must uncover the dark secrets of the Talos I and their own past, all while trying to survive by using the station’s tools, weapons, their own wits and new-found abilities. Prey has an official launch date of May 1, 2017, and here’s hoping the success of this game prompts the sequel fans have waited for.
Sea of Thieves
Developer: Rare
Publisher: Microsoft Studios
Release Date: 2017
Although there isn’t much to go on with this title, Sea of Thieves seems to be an ambitious one. Sea of Thieves is a pirate, open-world, action-adventure game. Players will be able to make custom stories, co-op with friends and also be able to craft items and maneuver their ships by coordinating the crew to sails, steering and more. Sea of Thieves even includes a day and night cycle and real-life simulated water graphics and rendering. Players will also be able to hunt for gold of course. Sea of Thieves will come out sometime in 2017 but in the meantime, there is a Sea of Thieves Insiders Program and community members can apply to play an early access version of the game.
There may not be many Xbox One exclusive games coming in 2017 but that doesn’t mean that there still won’t be a whole slew of games to play that will be coming across all platforms.
