Its that time of year once again ladies and gentlemen. The excitement is building for the fall and winter periods within gaming. All the big releases due to come very soon but it would not be complete without our favourite gaming event shows taking centre stage.
Gamescom 2022 being the summer blockbuster to end the warm and humid months. It showcased everything from the industry fans have been waiting for with some surprises too, so here is my top five picks from the event!
Video version here
Dead Island 2
No, you aren’t suffering from cataracts or a rare brain eating fungus. It’s true, Dead Island 2 is indeed real and not cancelled after all, to everyone’s surprise. 10 years after its initial reveal trailer, we finally have a release date of February 3, 2023. Obviously, the game suffered from major development issues and well, pure hell if were honest and that is why it has taken its new development team so long to update fans. Now with Deep Silver behind the title and featuring 6 playable protagonists all with vastly different looks and personalities to enjoy stories with, we are safely excited. Don’t forget its sun-drenched setting of Los Angeles with the inspiration of 80’s B-movie horror in its DNA, Dead Island 2 is promising a next generation open world zombie experience.
Sonic Frontiers
As an old SEGA fan of the blue hedgehog, a new open world adventure with Sonic is sure appealing. Even if I think it copying the Zelda formulae it could work and after the new trailer at Gamescom, I am hopeful this could be a fun, colourful adventure. Sonic Frontiers is coming November 8, 2022, which is a dangerous date as God Of War Ragnarök is due literally the next day so the developers are either crazy or have a tonne of faith in their project. Either way the game will be sure to please fans and its story is seemingly being uncovered with each new piece of media. The storyline seems to focus on a new digital supervillain to the franchise, which has yet to be revealed. Also, it features retuning characters like Amy and the need to recover chaos emeralds to stop the impending disaster. With an open world and semi-open world levels, this could be the shake up Sonic needs as it has not really had a big hit in a long time. The trailer is a strong start to bringing him back into the limelight and with two Hollywood movies under his belt and a third in production, it’s the perfect time.
Lies Of P
Now, many games were shown during this showcase but two really stuck with me. The second we will focus on shortly but the first was Lies of P. A game I have spoke about previously but if you were not aware this is a Bloodborne inspired fresh take on the Pinocchio mythos set in the era of Belle Époque. In other words, its France during the late 1800’s. You take control of Pinocchio himself, traversing a dark and gothic landscape of dangerous steampunk monstrosities. Promising a hellish landscape, deep narrative and rewarding impactful combat its developers Neowiz games have stated. However, with the new trailer, we finally got a glimpse at our antagonist and its none other than our father, Geppetto himself. We also so a good chunk of gameplay showcasing various means of traversal, combating enemies, and exploring Victorian environments. Hammers, blunder busts, grappling hooks, claws, and swords. Everything is yours to play with. Don’t forget the likes of Jiminy cricket helping us along the way via a lantern like device that is reminiscent of a Dark Souls estus flask. Its more than fair to say this game is oozing style, creativity and brooding dark themes and I can’t wait to get my hands on it 2023 with a new confirmed release window. As a bonus its also coming to Xbox Game Pass Day one, so you can take a chance on it easily so you can become a real boy. Just watch out for the clockwork giant robots wanting to smash you into dust.
Outlast trials
In 2019 we got treated to a horrific surprise for fans of the horror gaming genre. The Outlast Trials was debuted during Gamescom of that year, and now 3 years later we are approaching its inevitable release. A closed sign up for its first beta will be available in just one month, yes Halloween you will get the chance to test it before its full release sometime in 2023. Nevertheless, what is this game even about? Well after a new trailer debuting at 2022 Gamescom we have some more details on its premise and plot. You play as a human Guinee pig recruited by the Murkoff corporation during the Cold War. Its also a 1-4 player experience with friends being able to join you during your torturous trials in a survival horror setting. Whether it will be similar to Dead By Daylight, Evil Dead or Phasmaphobia in its multiplayer structuring remains to be seen but there is one thing we are certain of. Red Barrels, the developers of the franchise know what horror is and will deliver a shockingly good time with this one. Just remember, work with your friends but if one accidently falls onto a circular saw, don’t worry too much.
Where Winds Meet
As I mentioned earlier, there were two game showcases that really outshined the rest in my humble opinion. One being Lies of P and the other being Where Winds Meet. This fresh announcement had me and friends’ jaws on the floor with its beautifully constructed and spectacular trailer, and I’m not afraid to admit that one bit. Where Winds Meet is a fantasy open world action game featuring sleek, meaningful combat akin to Ghost of Tsushima in gameplay and aesthetics. Set in an ancient Chinese dynasty era between ten warring kingdoms, you start by choosing a role. Be it a doctor, merchant, or a wandering swordsman, you can take part in its ongoing conflict or ignore it completely. You wouldn’t be mistaken for seeing its other gaming influences such as Elden Ring and Assassins Creed either, this is clearly a game that knows its audience. Labelled as heavily inspired by Wuxia, a Chinese genre of fiction based on martial and fighting it promises to allow the player to delve deep into its Asian heritage in video game form. We have no firm date yet but a mere nibble on what is to come totally piqued my interest to keep a solid eye on this one. Everstone games its developers want you to feel more than just a warrior, you are a force of nature, and I can tell you it will take just that to stop me picking this up.
By John.P
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