Gamescom 2022 Highlights
Article by Kieran Burt.
Gamescom has wrapped up for another year, and players have been treated to a wide variety of games, both already existing and newly announced. Here is a highlight of 15 games that were shown off at Opening Night Live, and then some highlights from the Xbox Booth.
Sonic Frontiers Story
Sonic is speeding into the open world genre with the latest Sonic Frontiers game. Releasing on November 8, this will see Sonic step into the less linear format of games that has become a huge trend. There will be a focus on combat too, with combos and melee attacks and parries. For a character normally known for jumping on his enemies and speeding on through a linear level, this game will be a huge shakeup for the franchise. Sonic Frontiers will release on Nintendo Switch, PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Playstation 4 and Playstation 5.
Hardspace Shipbreaker
Hardspace Shipbreaker has already been released for PC, but at Gamescom it was revealed that the game will be making its way across to Xbox One, Playstation 4, Xbox Series X|S and Playstation 5 on September 20. This game has a focus on breaking down spaceships, though players will have to watch their oxygen metres and other hazards to avoid perishing. This game has received wide critical acclaim on PC already, where it will hopefully receive the same praise.
Homeworld 3
Homeworld 3 is a 3-D real time strategy game, set in the vastness of space, with a variety of different ships and strategies. The trailer showcases many classes of ship and how a player might want to use them, as well as using a couple tactics such as hiding behind terrain and capturing enemy ships. Massive orbital structures will be a bigger part of this game, with players able to assault them. The game will be released on PC in the first half of 2023.
Everywhere – metaverse
Not a lot is known about Everywhere, the new game to explore the metaverse concept. It will feature many open worlds for players to explore alone or with others. The trailer shows a huge variety of different worlds, such as sci-fi, psychological horror and racing. This ambitious game seeks to tie every genre into one experience. This intriguing game will be released in 2023. No release platforms have been specified.
Return to Monkey Island
Return to Monkey Island is the sequel to the classic point and click adventure, with the trailer making a hilariously unashamed marketing ploy to show off many of the locations that players will be visiting (a remote island for example), and as well a flavour of the humour the game will feature. It also revealed an amazing pre-order bonus, horse armor, taking a jab at what is considered the first example of DLC in a video game. Does the horse armor serve any purpose? No, but as the trailer says, it looks cool sitting in a player’s inventory. The game will be released on September 19, on PC and Nintendo Switch.
Goat Simulator 3
Goat Simulator 3 is the explosive return to the slap-stick physics of Goat Simulator, allowing players to see what life is like for a goat. Compared to the original game, this one will be a lot more chaotic, but also have NPCs taking a more active role in the game, reacting to the player’s antics. Abilities are assigned by role, so for example a police officer has specific abilities. These aren’t just restricted to the NPCs, players can play as many different goats. Co-op is also a feature of the game, with up to four players causing mayhem at once. The game will be released on November 17 on PC, Xbox Series X and PC.
The Expanse: Telltale Series
Telltale will be releasing a brand new interactive story, this time focusing on the hit Amazon Prime series The Expanse. Set before the events of the show, players will find themselves traversing zero gravity environments, using mag boots and thrusters to propel the characters and the narrative forwards. As is a staple with Telltale games, players’ choices will impact the ending of the story. The game will have a summer 2023 release date, and will release on PC as well as “leading consoles”.
Warhammer 40,000 Darktide
Warhammer 40,000 Darktide is an upcoming first person shooter set in the sci-fi world of Warhammer 40,000. Players can expect a chaotic experience in the claustrophobic streets of hive infested city, working with up to four other players. Fans of the novels will be delighted to hear that the banter and story of Darktide will be co-written by best-selling 40k author Dan Abnett. The game will be released on PC on November 30 and Xbox Series X|S shortly after.
Xbox Booth Showcase
Microsoft Flight Simulator 40th anniversary Update
Microsoft has a huge update planned to celebrate the 40th anniversary of their Flight Simulator, and it will bring a huge amount of new content for players to fly with. Just to list some of it, the update will bring 12 new aircraft, 20 missions from the game’s past, 4 big commercial airports, 10 glider airports and 12 heliports. To go with those heliports and glider airports, are two of the most requested features, helicopters and gliders. Microsoft will also bring several historical aircraft too, like the Hughes H-4 Hercules, nicknamed the Spruce Goose, the largest seaplane and the largest wooden plane ever built. It only flew once. The update will be free to everyone on November 11
Lies of P
Lies of P is a retelling of the well known Pinocchio story, but with a dark and soulslike twist. The game features a unique lie mechanic system, where everything the player does as the main character will affect the story in a dramatic way. Opening Night Live showcased some gameplay, and in an interview with IGN during Xbox’s Booth Showcase, the creator Choi Ji-Won explained
“We had to find a very well-known thing first, because this is our first Soulslike game, so we wanted to have the fanbase first. So we came up with a well-known story first and then we gave our own twist on it.”
Lies of P releases in 2023 on PC, Playstation Xbox Series X|S
A Plague Tale: Requiem
A Plague Tale: Requiem is the sequel to 2019’s A Plague Tale: Innocence, and will be doubling down on the violence, and increasing the action. Gameplay was shown during the event, and Kevin Choteau, the game director at Asobo Studio chatted to IGN about the game. It takes place in 14th Century France, and Choteau explained that the second one will take place in much wider environments compared to the first game. The player will also have access to a new crossbow, and a wider range of knives, adding new ways to take out foes. A Plague Tale: Requiem will release October 18 2022 on PC, Playstation 5, Xbox Series X|S and Nintendo Switch.
Gamescom 2022 provided great insights to all of these games, showcasing what fans can be looking forward to in the next few months and years to come, on Xbox as well as the range of other platforms.
