4 Great Microsoft Game Series

Microsoft Studios has had a number of big game series for Windows and Xbox consoles. The software giant has various studios in the United States and Europe that have produced some great games. These are a few of Microsoft's most notable game series.

Age of Empires

Age of Empires has plenty of fans and is among the most innovative Microsoft Studio titles. This series includes Age of Empires, Age of Empires 2: Age of Kings and Age of Empires 3. Those games make up the main series, but there are also additional expansion packs that have further expanded the franchise. The game series has largely been for Windows.

The Age of Empires titles are RTS games set in various historical periods. In this game series, players collect resources such as gold, wood, and stone with their villagers to construct larger settlements that include barracks, stables and archery ranges to build up armies for campaigns or multiplayer skirmishes. The AoE series includes a variety of campaigns in Europe, North America, and Asia.

The most recent addition to the franchise is Age of Empires 3. However, there is also an Age of Empires Online, which is a more recent AoE multiplayer game. That was the first AoE game for which Ensemble Studios was not involved.

Microsoft seemed to have put the lid on the single player Age of Empires franchise after the third installment. However, the release of the Age of Empires: Definitive Edition, a remake of the original AoE, regenerated interest in the series. Microsoft Studios has announced that it will now release the long-awaited Age of Empires 4 to further expand the series.

Halo

To coincide with the launch of the Xbox, Microsoft Studios needed its own exclusive game for the console. That game was Halo, a sci-fiction first-person shooter set in 2552 that stars the Master Chief super trooper. In this game series, the United Nations Space Command, otherwise UNSC, are at war with the Covenant aliens. In the original 2001 game, the Master Chief and other UNSC troops abandon the Pillar of Autumn space station after the Covenant attack it and land on a mysterious nearby halo.

The original Halo was the first of the trilogy that starred the Master Chief. Halo 2 and 3 wrapped up the original trilogy before further titles such as Halo: Reach, which did not include the Master Chief, expanded the franchise. The Master Chief returned in Halo 4, and Halo 5: Guardians continued the series on the Xbox One.

This game franchise is the biggest on the Xbox. With its gripping story, goovy soundtrack and exciting gameplay the game has a cult following with Halo comics and a book series. The series has set new records, and Halo Infinite could be another great addition to the franchise.

Forza Motorsport

Forza Motorsport is one most highly rated racing games on Xbox consoles. The first Forza Motorsport debuted on the Xbox in 2005, and since then there have been nine more Forza games. The most recent addition is Forza Motorsport 7, and Horizon 4 will expand the series further.

These games feature a variety of supercars, such as the Enzo Ferrari and Audi R8. In addition, there are plenty of famed circuits included in the Forza series, such as Silverstone, Road Atlanta and Laguna Seca. The Forza series has a great physics engine and has been one of the best racers on the Xbox.

Microsoft Flight Simulator

Flight Simulator is a game series that Microsoft launched in the 1980s. Thus, this is one of Microsoft's longest-running game franchises. The Flight Simulator games are renowned for their realism, graphical excellence and a great variety of iconic planes for players to fly.

There have been 12 installments to the Flight Simulator series. The most recent installment is Flight Simulator X: Steam Edition, which bundles content from FSX expansion packs within a single package distributed on Steam. The latest game includes thousands of airports, updated multiplayer support, a Racing mode and more than 80 missions to fly in.

Those are four great Microsoft Studios game series. Halo, Age of Empires, Microsoft Flight Simulator and Forza Motorsport are four of the biggest game series on Windows and the Xbox consoles. Microsoft continues to expand those franchises, and AoE 4, Forza Horizon 4 and Halo Infinite will be among next year's most exciting games.