Microsoft teases their 2016 catalog
Early Tuesday morning the head of Xbox took to the stage in Cologne, Germany to showcase and debut the biggest games hitting the Xbox One in 2016. Promising the “greatest lineup in Xbox history,” Phil Spencer opened the show with Quantum Break, the latest from Remedy (best known for Max Payne and Alan Wake). This was our first lengthy peek at the time-bending third-person shooter. We also got our first real look at the game’s live-action cutscenes, which feature Shaun Ashmore (X-Men), Aiden Gillen (Game of Thrones) and Dominic Monaghan (Lost).
Platnium Games (Bayonetta, Metal Gear Rising) were also on hand to showcase their new Xbox One exclusive, Scalebound. The game appears to be a mashup between a standard fantasy action RPG and the studio’s iconic brand of fast-paced character action. Powered by a close bond with a dragon and some sick dubstep beats, you’ll slash through armies of knights and take down massive monsters. Four-player co-op was also confirmed.
Microsoft also gave us a quick glance at Crackdown 3, which still appears to be in deep development. Destructibility appears to be the law of the land, with massive skyscrapers that can be leveled through your super-powered antics. The most interesting new feature is that this mass destruction appears to be processed outside of the console itself, using cloud computing to produce stunning chaos.
Finally, Microsoft announced the return of a fan favorite. The real-time strategy game Halo Wars. Halo Wars 2 will be developed by Creative Assembly (Total War) and seems to focus on a conflict between Brutes and Humans. Not much is known about the RTS sequel, but a release on both Windows 10 and Xbox One should be expected next year.
 
World of Warcraft invites you to the Legion
World of Warcraft may be more than a decade old, but its millions of dedicated players show no signs of slowing down. Soon, dedicated citizens of Azeroth will be invited to pick up Legion, the sixth expansion set for the MMORPG. Key additions with this expansion include a new player class for Night/Blood Elves: the super-agile, transformable Demon Hunter. Explore the Broken Isles for new dungeons, raids and more to hit the expanded 110 level cap. No release date has been attached to Legion, but you can opt-in to an early beta on Blizzard’s website.
 
Hot Trailers
If you’re afraid that 2015 has been dry on explosion-heavy action blockbusters, worry not. This trailer for Just Cause 3 should fulfill your daily recommended dose of explosions several times over.

Mafia III moves the story of the mob forward to 1968 and takes it down south to the bayou. This trailer is an excellent piece of scene setting for the full game, establishing a moody post-Vietnam style determined to tear down the old ways.

Homefront: The Revolution has seen a rocky path to release, surviving its initial publisher-ending bankruptcy and a developer that nearly collapsed when they took on the project. Deep Silver has since picked up the game, and it’s looking worth the effort. Depicting an America thrown into martial law by North Korea, this trailer gives a sense of the high-tech rebellion behind the Revolution.

 
Follow Chris Berg on Twitter, @Mushroomer25