I decided to bring back an old series. I’ll only highlight games coming up. I liked taking a look at the future of video games last year. I decided I would give it another go this year. I watched many of the conferences held in June and came away with a bunch of games which piqued my interest. I have separated them by showcase, but many of the games were shown across several showcases. I won’t be including any links to the game trailers, but you can find them all at gamesrecap.io.
PlayStation Showcase
The PlayStation 5 releases have been a little slow. I was shocked to see how many of the games announced at the PlayStation Showcase were for the PS4 as well. The PS5 is available for anyone to purchase at retail, and it has been selling well. I would have thought developers would drop support for the aging console. I also felt the Showcase was lacking big tentpole releases.
I suppose the first game to catch my eye was the Talos Principle 2, mainly because I have played the first one. I thought the first one stuck around too long, so a sequel does not really excite me. With that said, the puzzles were fun, so I might check it out. It releases sometime this year for the PS5, Xbox Series, and PC.
Gris has been in my wishlist for a long time, but I haven’t played it. Neva is from the same creators. I dig the artstyle, and that is enough to get me interested in a game. The characters in the trailer struck a chord with me as well. Some gameplay would have been nice. It has a release window of 2024, and it looks like it is coming to PS5, Xbox Series, Nintendo Switch, and PC.
Phantom Blade Zero showed well at the PlayStation Showcase. The combat animations look cool, but the trailer did not have a lot of substance. There are a lot of unknowns. For one, I am not familiar with the series nor the developers. I’ll follow it, but have zero (heh) expectations for it. It is coming to PS5 and PC sometime in the nebulous future.
From a spinoff company of thatgamecompany, the creators of Journey, comes Sword of the Sea. Of course, the artstyle stands out to me. I loved Journey, so I am looking forward to an alike game. It is coming to PS5 and PC someday.
I was surprised to see a Metal Gear Solid Δ: Snake Eater announcement, but was even more pleasantly surprised to see the Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 1. The games included have been unavailable on modern platforms, so it will be nice to have them available again. Master Collection Vol. 1 will be available for PS5, Xbox Series, Nintendo Switch, and PC on October 24, 2023. The remake of Snake Eater doesn’t have a release date, but whatever.
I am ready for Assassin’s Creed Mirage. I want an old school Assassin’s Creed game. The fact the PlayStation Showcase trailer was all about stabbing makes me happy. It comes out for the PlayStations, the Xboxes, and PC on October 12, 2023.
I don’t like how early Dragon’s Dogma 2 was announced. I am happy it exists, but we don’t have a release date for it yet. Until I see a solid gameplay trailer with a release date, I won’t be excited.
I love a good pun, and Cat Quest: Pirates of the Purribean is a good pun. You’re lucky I held back; I could have said “Purrfect.” The 2D platforming and combat looks fine, and it could be fun. It has a release window of 2024 for all of the platforms.
Towers of Aghasba caught my eye, but I don’t think I’ll actually like it. Looks like a game heavily inspired by Breath of the Wild. It releases sometime next year for PS5 and PC.
Of course Sony ended the show with Marvel’s Spider-Man 2. I have yet to play the first one or Miles Morales. At any rate, the game looks great. The villain looks cool, and the ability to play as multiple spider-mans could be fun. It comes out for PS5 on 10/20/2023.
Summer Games Fest
This is kind of the main event, and yet, I was underwhelmed. There were some announcements that excited me, but they were few.
Immortals of Aveum was a big highlight, and it releases soon. It is a magic spell based FPS, story orientated, and it looks rad. It releases for the PS5, Xbox series, and PC on August 22nd.
Lysfanga: The Time Shift Warrior had a cool trailer. It is an isometric action game, but it has an interesting twist on the time manipulation mechanics. It will be released for PC, but has no release date.
Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden comes from Don’t Nod, which has an uneven history. This one looks good. A pair of ghost hunters hunting ghosts… while one of them appears to be a ghost. It is coming to PS5, Xbox Series, and PC sometime in 2023.
John Carpenter’s Toxic Commando was not on my Bingo card. Looks like a fun co-op shooter. Lots of blood, and lots of zombies. Comes out sometime in 2024 for PS5, Xbox Series, and PC.
I only mention Lies of P because it stole the whole show. It is a soulsborne game with a Pinocchio twist. It looks cool, but I am just not a fan of these types of games. It comes out for everything on September 19th.
I have been watching Witchfire for a while now. I trust the developers, and the game looks cool. But I still can’t believe they are doing a roguelike, and also doing an early access game. I am still interested, because the gunplay looks great. I probably won’t pick it up when it releases in early access on September 20th on the Epic Store. It will be coming to other PC stores, and consoles when it exits early access.
Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown genuinely surprised me. The 2D platforming and combat looks awesome, and I am hyped. There looks to be a lot of neat abilities. Best of all, it comes out for all platforms on January 18, 2024.
Day of the Devs
This is an indie event, and it has a cozy feel to it. Indie developers get to showcase their games themselves, and journalists get to play them. It is nice to see a showcase focused on the games and the developers. There are no flashy trailers or pre-scripted gameplay segments.
Hyper Light Breaker is cool looking, but I probably won’t like it. It is a rogue-lite. However, the world and artstyle is kickass. I might check it out, but it doesn’t have a release date.
Viewfinder kinda stole the show. The puzzle mechanics sound simple, but fun. You can manipulate the world by snapping a photo, and arranging it somewhere else in the world. It released on July 18th for PC and PS5, and it is reviewing well.
I was not going to mention Hauntii, but changed my mind. The possession mechanic sounds cool. It has no release date.
I don’t know what is with these rogueish games this year, but Helskate is another one. It is Tony Hawk meets Hades. It could be cool, or I might hate it. I’ll have to wait, because there is no release date.
I think Cocoon might have been my favorite game showcased at Day of the Devs. It is from one of the dudes that made Limbo and Inside. It has a cool twist where you enter and exit worlds. You can pick up the world that you exited, and use it to solve puzzles. It even has combat, which is surprising. It comes out for all the things on September 29th.
Xbox Games Showcase
I was optimistic for Microsoft’s showcase this year. They’ve been making deals, and it is about time that we see the fruit of their spending. Unfortunately, not a lot of release dates, unlike last year’s showcase.
I haven’t played a Fable game, but the trailer for Fable sold me. I am kinda in a mood for a humorous take on the RPG genre. The trailer had a lot of good laughs in it. Alas, no release date.
Compulsion Games has a lot to prove. We Happy Few kind of sold itself as one thing, and was a different thing at release. So, I don’t trust the trailer for South of Midnight, but it was a really cool trailer. The claymation animation style looks great, and the southern magic vibe feels good. Again, no release date.
I have a long backlog of Obsidian games I need to play, and Avowed is going to join them. It looks like the type of RPG Obsidian is known for. This time, it is in a more traditional fantasy setting! No release date.
I just want Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II to be released. I don’t want more trailers. Unfortunately, no release date for Roy.
I like the artstyle for Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess. The Capcom showcase kind of sold the game to me. It is an action game with a wicked artstyle. Say it with me: “no release date.”
The artstyle caught my attention for Dungeons of Hinterberg. It has a Sable vibe to it. Gameplay wise, it looks like an action RPG. I have no idea what “social simulation” part implies. We’ll see in… TBA.
Clockwork Revolution is coming from InExile. The trailer is cool. The developers talked a little bit about the time travel mechanics. I’m curious to learn more. Unfortunately, no release date.
I am pretty sure Starfield will be the first game I spend $69.99+tax on the base game. I don’t do pre-orders, and Starfield is no exception to that rule. It looks so damn good. It sounds like they put a lot of effort into the story. The ship stuff looks great, the planet stuff looks great, and the character customization looks great. I think it was smart how Bethesda/Microsoft presented the game by having the developers talk about their favorite parts. I felt the passion for the game from the developers. I am excited for its Xbox and PC release on September 6th.
Nintendo June 2023 Direct
Nintendo was last, but my post is saving the “other” presentations for last. Mainly because I am just going to slam them into one category. I thought Nintendo would make the “other” category, but they surprised me. They’ve announced that they are working on the Switch 2, and you would think they were winding down the Switch. However, there are some surprises on the way.
Something about the original SNES Super Mario RPG rubbed me the wrong way, but the Switch’s Super Mario RPG remake has me pumped. I do like the Paper Mario games, and this was the grand-daddy to that series. I am looking forward to its release on November 17th.
I really need to play the Super Princess Peach game on the DS. It’s expensive on eBay. The little teaser for a new Princess Peach game made me a little excited. Unfortunately, no release date.
I am hyped for Super Mario Bros. Wonder. It makes me wonder why they didn’t use the “New” moniker. At any rate, I love the 2D Mario games, and it has been a long time. It releases October 20th.
Otogi Katsugeki Mameda no Bakeru: Oracle Saitarou no Sainan!! was only shown at the Japanese Nintendo Direct. But look at it! It’s Goemon/Mystical Ninja! The developers have a history with Goemon, so it isn’t surprising that they are doing a spiritual successor. I really hope this comes to the west. It probably won’t though. It comes out this winter for the Switch in Japan.
The Rest
The rest of the games came from other shows, like the Future Games Show, PC Gaming Show, and Capcom showcase.
Resistor looks like a cool racing game. The cars go fast, and violence seems like an option. I dig the artstyle, and it might scratch my Burnout itch. The narrative sounds good, too. Alas, no release date.
I debated putting Lords of the Fallen on this list. I’m not into soulsborne games. However, the concept sounds cool, and it looks neat. Plus we got a release date. It comes out 10/13/2023 for PS5, Xbox Series, and PC.
I like stealth games, but not all stealth games. Whenever I see one, I am very interested, and want to know more. Steel Seed is one of those stealth games. I want to learn more the closer we get to a release. Unfortunately, no release date.
The Bookwalker: Thief of Tales is actually out now for PS5, Xbox Series, and PC. Reviews are… weird. Most of the Steam reviews are cryptic, and critic reviews are lackluster. There is not a lot to go on. What I do know is the trailer looked cool, and it might be a point and click adventure title. I might have to check out a Let’s Play video just to see what it is like.
Nivalis caught my attention last year, but the “management sim” tag made me recoil a bit. Seeing it this year, I am more intrigued. The city looks cool. The mystery of a killer sounds intriguing. I’m still not sure about the game, and it still doesn’t have a release date.
Stormgate caught my attention because ex-Blizzard people are making an RTS. The gameplay they showed this year looks solid. I am still leary of the free-to-play model for the game, but if they can make a great campaign, then I will be happy. It’s coming to PC, but there is no release date. However, there is beta signups for later this year.
That is pretty much everything that caught my attention. I wish some of these games were closer to release. I want to remind people to not pre-order, and wait for reviews.