Wow! Well, that was quite a packed 90 minutes of gaming goodness.
If you were watching, then chances are you need a breather!
And if you missed it, I’ll give you a moment to get a drink and a snack because this is going to be a long list!
[pause]
Are you ready? Let’s begin!
Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands (Gearbox Software) – Early 2022
Gearbox has hit us with a standalone, D&D-like adventure with a stacked cast of vocal talent and Tiny Tiny… who is likely to be a very unreliable narrator.
This is a standalone experience set in a high fantasy setting and combines the looter shooter genre so players can create and customize their own multiclass heroes who are out to stop the Dragon Lord. Bullets, magic, and broadswords collide across a chaotic fantasy world brought to life by the utterly unpredictable Tiny Tina, who makes the rules, changes the world on the fly, and guides players on their journey.
Joining Ashly Burch who returns as Tiny Tina is Captain Valentine voiced by Andy Samberg, robot Frette voiced by Wanda Sykes and Will Arnett as the Dragon Lord.
Metal Slug Tactics (SNK) – TBA
Classic 90’s run-and-gun gem Metal Slug is getting a tactics game! Yes, you read that right! SNK teased a Saturday morning anime adventure with a pixel-perfect 16-bit visual aesthetic. I am all here for this one… and a spinoff anime [make it so]!
Dotemu and developer Leikir Studio announced their collaboration today with SNK, which reunites Marco, Eri, Fio, and Tarma as they lead the Peregrine Falcon Squad into a new battlefield. You’ll find classic Metal Slug weaponry, skill trees, perks, and super attacks and use them to demolish your enemies.
Each mission’s heated battle is energized through original music by Tee Lopes (Sonic Mania, League of Legends, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge)
Death Stranding Director’s Cut (Kojima Productions) – TBA
WHAT’S IN THE BOX?!!!! WHAT’S IN THE BOX?!!! Oh, it’s Sam Porter Bridges. If he fits, he sits!
Hideo Kojima joined Geoff Keighley virtually from Tokyo to reveal that while he had no news to share about any upcoming projects, he was there to reveal the Death Stranding Director’s Cut, which is coming to PlayStation 5. There really wasn’t much else to see but Kojima certainly had fun teasing fans about Metal Gear.
Jurassic World Evolution 2 – 2021 TBA
Somehow, I totally missed the first Jurassic World Evolution, so I am going to have to go pick that up before I pick up this one. But Geoff being joined by Jeff Goldblum is what made this presentation stand out!
Frontier Developments returns to lead development on Evolution 2, with the first title launching in 2018. It looks like the sequel will launch later this year just in time for the next movie, Jurassic World: Dominion.
Sable (Shedworks) – September 23, 2021
The beautiful cell-shaded Sable didn’t get a trailer as it’s already been out there for a while now, however, we were treated to a chillaxing performance of “Glider” from Japanese Breakfast frontwoman Michelle Zauner, which was set to some beautiful scenes from the game.
Lost Ark (Smilegate RPG, Amazon Games) – Fall 2021
A South Korean, high-fantasy Diablo-like MMO, you say? Sign me up! I am really looking forward to seeing how this game appearing on Amazon Games is going to be supported. There appear to be a lot of opportunities and drive behind this title.
Call of Duty: Warzone Season Four (Raven Software) – June 17, 2021
A new Call of Duty: Warzone season with a catastrophic global event that will cross over with Call of Duty: Cold War?! I don’t know what else to say. This looks like a great season!
Among Us update roadmap (Innersloth) – 2021 TBA
Perhaps the most Among Us thing to do with an announcement is to say “here are some unfinished things we are working on” in a roadmap with no timeline of release. There’s a new hide & seek mode, which looks really amazing! Oh, and there are several new colours, items and roles!
Chicory: A Colorful Tale (Greg Lobanov) – Out Today
This is one I have been waiting a while for — and I plan to get into it as soon as all of my articles are done. Chicory: A Colorful Tale comes to us from Canadian-American [we lay claim to him] Greg Lobanov, who promises us a world where we solve puzzles with colour. Watch this trailer and tell me what’s not to love!
Chicory: A Colorful Tale is a top-down adventure game about a dog wielding a magic brush! Use the painting powers to explore, solve puzzles, help your animal friends and restore colour to the world.
Salt and Sacrifice (Ska Studios) – Early 2022
I’ll start by apologizing to the Xbox players who are reading this — because Ska Studios’ latest souls-like action RPG is debuting as a PlayStation and PC exclusive coming early next year. Salt and Sacrifice looks like it’s going to be a symphony of the night… I’ll see myself out.
In the Alterstone Kingdom, captured criminals face two choices for their punishment: death or service. Most opt for execution, but a brave few choose to live life in penance as Marked Inquisitors. These wandering wrongdoers hunt wicked Mages, devouring their hearts to prevent them from terrorizing the Kingdom any further.
Solar Ash (Heart Machine) – 2021 TBA
If Summer Game Fest was an award show Solar Ash would take home the award for the most cryptic trailer as we see our player-character Rei leap from point to point on a giant dragon-like creature. This game looks like Jet Set Radio Meets Shadow of the Colossus, and I am here for it!
VALORANT ‘s New Hero Tease (Riot Games) – TBA
The award for shortest trailer with the least context goes to VALORANT — a game that I cannot believe is nearly a year old, and that I stopped playing nearly a year ago. But if this is your game, I am happy for you!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n7PGuUwslYE
Escape From Tarkov – Streets of Tarkov Map (Battlestate Games) – TBA
Escape From Tarkov is finally taking us to the streets of… well… of Tarkov! This video shows off some amazing urban-centred warfare!
Two Point Campus (Two Point Studios) – TBA 2022
When Geoff mentioned the great Peter Molyneux, I hoped to hope we were going to get a new Kickstarter from Peter — just kidding! Nobody wants one of those again! However, it turned out that it didn’t even have anything to do with Peter. Instead, Two Point Studios [made up of veterans from Peter’s Lionhead Studios] has teased their very eclectic and not at all educating-looking Two Point Campus! We are going to school this time around, which is a lot better than the hospital!
Stranger Things x Smite crossover (Hi-Rez Studios) – July 13, 2021
Starting July 13th, Smite will be offering a battle pass featuring new skins based on Eleven, Hopper, and the Demogorgon. I never thought a game would feature Avatar: The Last Airbender, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and now Stranger Things.
Meet Prime Matter
Franz Koch’s latest media venture looks like it’s going to do some amazing things for gaming — mainly, bringing Payday 3 and a new Painkiller! But there looks to be a lot more on the horizon with at least 12 games coming soon! More details here.
The Anacrusis (Stray Bombay) – TBA
Stray Bombay is a new kid on the block studio brought to us by a former Valve writer and a Riot dev, who has just announced that their first public offering appears to be Overwatch meets Alien — and it’s called The Anacrusis. You and three friends run around a massive habitation ship mowing down a race of hyper-intelligent aliens. Something about this game just looks like it’ll do it for me!
New World (Amazon Game Studios) – TBA
New World is an Amazon Game Studios MMO that we have seen show up at events for at least the past two years. And it is finally, finally looking like something that will be on the market before long!
Rocket League x Fast 9 crossover (Psyonix) – June 17, 2021
People like Rocket League… People like Fast & Furious. And so people will probably like some of the vehicles from the upcoming Fast 9 in Rocket League.
Blood Hunt (Sharkmob) – 2021 [Beta opens July 2nd]
OK, which one of you asked for Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 to be a battle royale title? Well, you got your wish. This looks like something!
Players will need to use their supernatural powers, weapons, and wit to survive the night and restore the masquerade!
A third-person free-to-play battle royale experience set in the Vampire: The Masquerade universe, developed in close collaboration with the World of Darkness brand team. For the first time ever, experience the concept of vampires at war as sects clash in the city of Prague, triggered by the arrival of strike-teams from the Second Inquisition.
The Dark Pictures Anthology: House of Ashes (Supermassive Games) – October 22, 2021
Supermassive Games showed up with a trailer that I got a chance to see a few weeks ago as part of a sneak peek into the next standalone title in their The Dark Pictures Anthology series. I feel like we now know so much about this game, but if you want more, here’s my preview.
Tales of Arise (Bandai Namco) – September 10, 2021
Here’s another one that’s been out in the public for a while, but we got a nice trailer showing us some more of the party dynamics! As a longtime fan of the Tales series, I am looking forward to another instalment in this anime meets gaming mainstay!
Sky: Children of the Light Arrives on Switch (Jenova Chen) – June 29, 2021
Sky: Children of the Light is one of those absolutely darling indie games that just deserves to be ported to every gaming system from now until the end of time. And so, to see it get a Switch port is amazing! Also, it looks like we are getting a new story based on the famous Le Petit Prince novella — which I imagine Bucky Barnes read when it came out in 1943!
The Planet of Lana (Thunderful, Wishfully) – TBA 2022
This wistful puzzle adventure game looks like a charming painting and I am here for all of it! There just appears to be so much to love about this side-scroller!
Set on an alien world, Lana and her loyal companion Mui embark on a rescue mission to save her sister. his cinematic puzzler is a side-scroller and you’ll explore a colourful world full of strange creatures and dangers.
Overwatch 2 Baptiste & Sombra skin reveals (Blizzard Entertainment) – TBA 2022
Overwatch 2 is possibly coming out next year, but I’ll believe it when we have a date. In the meantime, Blizzard dropped by Summer Game Fest to show how they plan on advancing character models by using new shaders. Sombra in particular was challenging for Blizzard to redesign thanks to the asymmetrical design.
Dungeons & Dragons: Dark Alliance (Tuque Games) – June 22, 2021
So, aside from being dropped as a slightly cringe-inducing playthrough with Hannibal Burress and Ember Moon, Dungeons & Dragons: Dark Alliance looks like exactly what I want from a D&D game! I only hope that Tiny Tina isn’t there to ruin it for me!
Paladins x Gen:Lock crossover (Hi-Rez Studios) – July 2021
I would like to apologize to Hi-Rez Studios for being under the impression that Paladins shut down their servers years ago. It would appear to me that the game is very much alive and well! And what keeps something alive and well? Well, I suppose a skins crossover with Rooster Teeth’s is-it-an-anime-or-isn’t-it, Gen:Lock! OK, I’m going to be honest with you. I also was totally under the impression Gen:Lock wasn’t a thing anymore.
Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin (Capcom) – July 9, 2021
This is the game that stole the show for me! Monster Hunter Stories on the 3DS was the first time I think I’ve ever enjoyed myself in a Monster Hunter title [come at me with your pitchforks]. I was smiling from ear to ear watching this trailer. This come’s out nine days before my birthday [if you are looking for ideas]!
Wave Break (Funktronic Labs) – June 11, 2021
Here’s one that’s out next week! Oh, and here’s Weezer! Seriously, if you are making a game where you skateboard in a boat, you probably want the kings of yacht rock to contribute a song and a level, right? Also, this song is safe-to-stream, which is pretty rad! Up yours, DMCA!
Endless Dungeon (Amplitude, Sega) – TBA
Which one of you asked Sega to make a co-op tower defence/squad shooter? I want to kiss you! Not only does this game look like total fun, but it also has some esports potential. Throw two teams in a coliseum, task them with protecting the crystal and see who survives the longest!
Fall Guys x NieR: Automata crossover (Mediatonic) – June 18, 2021
Who’s the sexiest bean in town? It’s 2Bean! Once again… I’ll see myself out…
Tunic (Andrew Shouldice) – TBA
Another Canadian project supported by Finji [See: Chicory: A Colorful Tale]! This game is a total gem of the local gaming cons tour [I miss cons]! I know I played this game, but I can’t remember if it was EGLX or where exactly. But it is the kind of action-adventure we all need in our lives.
Tribes of Midgard (Norsefell) – July 27, 2021
All right, Norsefell, I’ve got one more Viking-themed game in me. But you’ve got me intrigued with a focus on base building and top-down fighting.
Evil Dead: The Game (Saber Interactive) – 2021
You have my attention when you have Bruce Campbell, so here we go! This looks like everything you could want in a co-op survival experience set in the universe of Ash vs the Evil Dead. You can bet I am taking the side of evil!
Elden Ring gameplay reveal (FromSoftware) – January 21, 2022.
And finally, [and finally!] we get to FromSoft’s Elden Ring! What’s it about? Your guess is probably better than mine! But it looks very much like the product of From Software and George R.R. Martin, so I suppose we are golden!
