My feelings on the Xbox One have gone from total resentment to excitement in the past couple of months, and the full launch lineup, just revealed at Gamescom, has only given me more reason to want it. The lineup’s so special because it has a wide array of exclusives from developers around the world– they’re really throwing everyone an Xbone, huh?
So, let’s cut to the chase and lay down the full list of games:
Assassin’s Creed IV Black Flag (Ubisoft, Ubisoft)
Battlefield 4 (DICE, Electronic Arts)
Call of Duty: Ghosts (Infinity Ward, Activision)
Crimson Dragon (Grounding/Land Ho!, Microsoft Studios)
Dead Rising 3 (Capcom Vancouver, Microsoft)
FIFA 14 (EA Sports, Electronic Arts)
Fighter Within (AMA Ltd., Ubisoft)
Forza Motorsport 5 (Turn 10 Studios, Microsoft Studios)
Just Dance 2014 (Ubisoft Paris, Ubisoft)
Killer Instinct (Double Helix, Microsoft Studios)
LEGO Marvel Super Heroes (TT Games, Warner Bros. Interactive)
Lococycle (Twisted Pixel, Microsoft Studios)
Madden NFL 25 (EA Sports, Electronic Arts)
NBA 2K14 (Visual Concepts, 2K Sports)
NBA LIVE 14 (EA Sports, Electronic Arts)
Need for Speed: Rivals (Ghost Games, Electronic Arts)
Peggle 2 (Popcap, Electronic Arts)
Powerstar Golf (Zoe Mode, Microsoft Studios)
Ryse: Son of Rome (Crytek, Microsoft Studios)
Skylanders: Swap Force (Vicarious Visions, Activision)
Watch Dogs (Ubisoft Montreal, Ubisoft)
Zoo Tycoon (Frontier Developments Ltd., Microsoft Studios)
Zumba Fitness: World Party (Zoë Mode, Majesco)
Some of the series represented, like Zumba, Skylanders, and Assassin’s Creed seem to have become a staple of modern launch lineups. But the inclusion of the newest gangbusters-selling Call of Duty, Battlefield, and EA Sports games on day one is pretty significant. While some will still see it as a Halo box, the fact that Microsoft is extending an olive branch to fans of just about any genre is pretty savvy on their part.
Crimson Dragon, the successor to the classic high-flying fantasy shooter Panzer Dragoon series, is one such niche title. Killer Instinct, the Double Helix-helmed revival of Rare’s long-dormant fighting series, has garnered a lot of buzz already– especially from the very picky fighting game community. Ryse: Son of Rome and Lococycle look like two very frenetic action games that while tonally different will probably appeal to the same audience. Peggle 2‘s only a timed exclusive, but the multiple objectives per level, and increased focus on the Peggle Masters will make you want to jump on that colorful train early.
And then there’s Dead Rising 3, because really, who isn’t down for a ridiculously massive zombie apocalypse?
You can get any of these games when the console hits store shelves this holiday season, though don’t go too crazy. The console itself still costs $499 US dollars.
(via Xbox)
- A look at what comes with the Xbox One at launch
- Huzzah, the Kinect’s not mandatory for the Xbox One anymore!
- What we learned from the Call of Duty: Ghosts multiplayer stream
