On the 22nd of November precisely eight years since the inception of its forefather the Xbox One launches across
European and North American markets, making Microsoft the last of the console manufacturers to enter the eighth generation. For the gaming aficionado, there's nothing quite like the frissons a new console inspires. Akin to an ardent Apple fan lusting over the latest incremental iPhone upgrade, we breathlessly anticipate the genesis of each new generational cycle a product, in part, of a hard-wired neophilia (that insatiable appetite for the latest tech), but also an attraction to new experiences. The atypical longevity of consoles at least in relation to other digital media (mobiles, laptops and tablets) engenders a technological disparity between successive iterations which only intensifies the excitement. Granted, these shifts don't carry the same impact they once did (the transition from 2D to 3D embodied by Super Mario 64 springs to mind) and the protracted life cycles promote an inflexibility not experienced by PC gamers. However, they do serve to future-proof what are expensive acquisitions. Intriguingly, despite the proximity of the Xbox One launch, public interest has been distinctly lackluster. The timing of GTA V's release might've contributed to this apathy its unrivalled allure focusing attention towards the outbound generation. Nevertheless, there are myriad reasons to get excited about the Xbox One's potential, not least the varied launch-window line-up replete with new IPs (Titanfall, Project Spark and Watchdogs) and returning flagship franchises (Call of Duty: Ghosts, Battlefield 4 and Assassins Creed: Black Flag). Here are five titles that should pique your interest.